Richonne: Always meant to be!
by ashencharlie
Summary: A Richonne fic, set after the events of Season 5. The story will involve a re-telling of past events, along with the present timeline. The focus will be on how Rick and Michonne were always meant to be together, and how fate (or circumstances) has kept them apart. A lot of romance, some heartbreak and love. This is Richonne, always meant to be!
1. Richonne, I love you

_**What happens when Rick and Michonne see each other naked for the first time? Smut, romance and a whole lot of soap and water. Rated M! (Takes place a few weeks after the events of the season 5 finale!)**_

 **I don't own any rights over the walking dead franchise. I am a fan, and this is a fan fic.**

* * *

Michonne woke up at 6 in the morning, to start her day with a cold shower.

She tried the shower, but there was no water.

The only other bathrooms in the house was the one in Rick and Daryl's rooms. Re-calling what Rick has said last night - "my door is always open for you"-, she decided to go to his room.

She reached Rick's bedroom and knocked on his door. There wasn't any response.

She softly called out "Rick, are you awake?". She quietly tried the doorknob, it wasn't locked!

She saw that Rick was fast asleep, lying on his back, arms spread out. He was covered in a sheet from the waist below. She couldn't help herself from checking him out. She saw the protrusion in between the sheets. It seemed to be curving downward. Her gaze lingered over the the semi-erect outline, before wandering over the rest of Rick Grimes.

She felt a strong desire to rip apart those sheets and pounce over him. She wanted to feel his length in her hands, she wanted it thrust inside her, slowly, and feel ever inch of it move in and out.

She wanted to bury herself in his lean torso. Kiss and taste his entire body, and then have him suck her dry.

She started getting wet inside her panties. She quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts, and headed to the bathroom.

She took off her T-shirt, and peeled off her bra, and grabbed her boobs and looked into the mirror above the sink. Her nipples were erect. As she stared at herself, and played with her nipples, she closed her eyes and relished the sensation.

She took off her jeans, and turned around to look at her ass, held by her white panties, in the mirror. She felt sexy! Imagining Rick watching her, she bent over and slid the fabric down.

She turned around and looked at her naked reflection. It had been so long! She felt happy that she could still feel this way. Or was it all the courtesy of staring at Rick's naked torso?

She blushed like a teenage girl and headed towards the shower.

...

Rick Grimes woke up with one of the worst hangovers he had ever had. Glenn and Maggie's party were a lot of fun! But Glenn had insisted on a "men-only-party", which had further resulted in an all night drinking marathon with Rick, Daryl and Abraham.

As he slowly raised himself and sat on the side of the bed, he realized he was naked. He wondered how he had ended up taking off all of his clothes.

A thought of relief passed over him. 'Glad I left Judith with Carol last night.'

Groggily, he got off the bed and slowly opened the bathroom door.

...

Michonne was soaping her self down when she heard the door open. As she turned around to call out, she stopped when she saw a very naked and semi-erect Rick walk towards the toilet.

For a brief second Michonne was too scared to make a sound. She watched a very sleepy Rick walk towards the toilet. His eyes seemed to be closed.

He stood before the toilet and and started peeing into it.

Michonne turned away in silent laughter, unable to believe what was happening.

As Rick finished he opened his eyes to reach for the flush. As he pressed down, he saw the silhouette of a person on his right. He turned slowly to see a naked Michonne, standing in his tub.

Sunlight seeped in through the bathroom window to illuminate her wet body, while soap dripped down her luscious skin.

She was standing with both her hands holding the soap, as if in prayer. She had a wicked grin on her face

Her body was turned to side facing the shower. She teased him by placing her right leg higher on the tub to lather it some more.

"Well?... are you just going to stand there and stare?"

Rick was fully awake now, and so was his erection. Michonne, could now fully appreciate, what was denied to her earlier by the bed sheet. He didn't try to hide it, and she took her time to check him out.

If he was shy, he didn't show it. But Michonne saw a twinge of surprise on his unshaven face.

"I think you're in the wrong bathroom" Rick responded with a smile.

Michonne turned her body around towards him, so that he could see her completely. She used both her hands to soap her breasts, slowly, taking time to rub them.

"Yeah, I know that Rick. But there's no water in mine. So I thought I would use yours, if you don't mind, of course!"

Rick, like Michonne, took his time to look her 'up', before he answered.

"No, I don't mind. Why don't I step out and give you some privacy."

As he turned to leave, Michonne called out to him

"why?"

He turned to look at her.

"This is your bathroom!", she said matter of factly, and flashed him her pearly whites

Rick looked at her incredulously. "Alright then!

Moving towards the sink, Rick washed himself and then started brushing his teeth. He watched her rubbing her skin with soap, taking in each detail. There was something about being naked in front of her. He enjoyed the way he felt. It wasn't just that he was naked or standing there watching her bathing herself. It was the fact that he was comfortable. He wanted to see her, and he wanted her to see all of him. There were no insecurities. It was trust and affection.

Michonne, liked that fact the Rick was watching her. She felt the cold flow of water all over her body. She turned to look at Rick , and saw that he was pointing out. He was smiling and seemed happy. She knew what it was, that feeling of absolute trust! No doubts, no worries. Just happy to be in each others company.

He watched as the water flowed down her body, washing away all the soap. She looked so heavenly! He wanted nothing more than to join her,

He quickly finished brushing his teeth, and turned towards the shower.

"Guess I'll have to wait until you done"

"... the tub's big enough for both of us to stand in." Michonne said, as her hands moved down to wash around her pubic region.

Rick, didn't waste any more time standing around.

He stepped into the tub, right behind her. He felt his penis brush her ass.

"Hope you don't mind pointy objects"

She turned around, so that they were standing face to face in the shower.

"You seem to be forgetting that I carry around a very pointy sword. So...no! Pointy objects don't bother me"

Rick felt the tip of his penis brush the hair around her crotch. Michonne swayed her hips to rub against him.

Rick smiled broadly, "glad we got that out of the way"

The water from the shower only seemed to be reaching Michonne.

Mihonne reached out and grabbed Rick's strong shoulders. "You should come closer, after all you did step in for the shower?"

Michonne took a step backwards and pulled him under the flow of water. They had never stood so close to each other.

Michonne placed her hands on his chest and felt his heart beat. She looked into his eyes and caressed his chest.

Rick's raised his hands to cup her face. His left arm slid down her back and rounded on her waist. He puller her closed and used his right fingers to trace her face, from her eyebrows to her nose. He used his thumbs to caress her lips. She closed her eyes as she allowed her self to feel his touch. She felt his penis poke into her abs.

He leaned forwards and brushed his nose across her right cheek. He caught her scent and kissed her softly on her cheek. His arms enclosed around her body, and felt her nipples pierce into his chest.

He allowed himself to feel weak. He allowed himself to stop thinking. This was bliss. This was love. This is what Michonne was to him.

Michonne felt his strong arms around her, and his fingers on her skin. She grabbed his ass cheeks as hard as she could and pushed herself deeper. Her left arm moved up, to place it around his neck. Her right hand caressed the back of his head. Slowly she let her fingers run through his hair. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.

She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She never knew how much she wanted to feel that way with Rick, until then

"Why did this take so long?", she spoke quietly into his neck as the water fell across their naked bodies.

He slowly pulled back his head to look at her.

"'cause I didn't think I could ever fall in love again...and I didn't know I was, until now."

Rick closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He opened them, and his dark blues' peered deep into her fiery browns'.

"...and I didn't think you'd ever want me-

Michonne leaned across and pressed her lips into his. Her lips parted to feel his tongue inside her, as she enclosed her mouth around his. Rick grabbed her from behind and picked her up. As her legs enclosed around his back, he gently pushed her up against the bathroom wall. He let his hand slide across the back of her head, as he positioned her, ready to enter.

She held on to Rick as tight as she could. Hoarsely, she voiced out

"Fuck me, Rick! Fuck me, now! Fuck me as hard as you can. Make me scream, make me cry.

He entered her slowly, feeling every inch of her.

"I love you, Rick!"

"I love you, Michonne!"


	2. Richonne, 18 years ago

_**This story is based on the information shared by the comics and the TV series. It's a re-imagination of events that took place 18 years ago (before the zombie apocalypse), from the current time line of the TV series. I thought long and hard of how Rick and Michonne could meet or talk to each other, without actually seeing each other or knowing each other's names. So, that when then meet in Season 3, they still don't know each other. And this chapter is a result of that. It still takes place within the TV universe of the the walking dead. So I guess it's prequel/sequel to the last chapter. I know some of the situations are going to seem cliched or too convenient. Please bear with me and I think you will enjoy this Richonne fic. Rated T**_

 _ **A big thank you to Michonne Galaxy, Siancore and Queen Mojo for their encouraging reviews on the last chapter.**_

At the age of 23, Rick Grimes was one of the youngest recruits at the King's county Sheriff's department. He was given a badge and a gun, but had to go through a 6 month probation period - an on the job training period - before he could be confirmed as a permanent member of the force.

Unfortunately, his best friend Shane had failed to pass the academy. However, Rick had encouraged him to try again.

Completing his 10 hour shift, Rick felt like getting a drink and headed down to the bar. He wasn't much of a drinker, but today he had completed 3 of his 6-month probationary period, and felt like he could use one. He remembered the conversation he had with his reporting officer, Deputy Smith, earlier in the day. "You're doing quiet well, Rick. I'm happy with your performance so far. Although, I have to say, you're kind of a straight arrow. Nothing wrong with that, but if or when you step into more of a leadership role - everything ain't going to be black and white! You gotta to be able to make a choice and stick to your guns."

...

Rick entered and bar and greeted Tom, the bartender, "Evenin' Tom!

At 65 years, Tom always treated his customer as if they were his grand kids.

"Evening, Rick. How is you police training going?"

Rick responded back enthusiastically "It's going well, thank you. I'm half way through my probationary period. 3 more months, and I will be a permanent member of the Sheriff's department!"

Tom beamed at Rick, proudly.

"That's great! You'd make a fine officer. I remember when you were 16, you stopped your friends from stealing my booze from the back of the kitchen. I knew it then the kind of man you'd turn out to be. You become the things you do - that's what my old man used to say."

Rick sat down at the bar and ordered a whiskey.

"Rick I need to step out for a while. I'll be back soon. Could you watch the place for me?"

"Sure, Tom. No problem."

With that Tom headed out.

As Rick was finishing his drink, the phone behind the counter started ringing.

Sighing, Rick reached out and grabbed the receiver. Pulling on the cord, Rick settled back down and answered the call.

"Hello."

He heard a nervous female voice, reply back "Hello?"

Rick responded, "Yes, hi."

The voice continued "Hi, uh...is this the bar - 'Drinks & Good Times' ?"

Definitely not someone from around here, Rick thought to himself.

"Yes it is. How can I help you?"

After a brief pause, she replied

"Hi, I was in the bar 2 days ago. I think I lost an earring of mine over there. I was wondering if you had come across it?"

"Uh...I don't know. I don't work..."

The voice interrupted him, it sounded anxious and was almost in the verge of tears.

"Please, sir! I really need your help! It's my mother earring and she is going to kill me. You have no idea..."

Rick softly chuckled into the phone.

"Are you laughing at me?" the voice sounded indignant. "Listen mister, I am freaking out over here. Are you going to help me or not?"

Rick apologized" I'm sorry, but let this be a lesson - 'KIDS' shouldn't go out drinking."

"Excuse me? who're you calling a kid? I'm twenty...one."

Rick scoffed at her

"Most 21-year old's would be disappointed about losing their mother's earring, rather than worry about what their mothers are going to do to them."

Rick took another swig of whiskey before continuing "My guess is that you're still in high school. You and friends recently came into town, and this being a small county, you knew you didn't have to worry about ID's. How am I doing so far?"

She took her time to respond "Alright smart ass, you got me! Happy? Now can you help me, please?"

Rick was starting to have fun, "hmmm... well you did just lie. As a responsible adult I can't just let you off the hook."

The girl sighed deeply before answering.

"Look I'm sorry. And you're right about me being in high school. Two days ago, it was my birthday. I just turned 18, and my friends suggested that we should go out and drink. "

"I stay in Atlanta. I don't go out a lot. I am a straight A student and I have the strictest parents in the world. I had just turned 18 and wanted to do something - wild. So I dressed up and went out. Most of the bars here asked us for an ID. So we decided to try our luck in one of the smaller towns. We drove out to the country side and we ended up there. I borrowed some of my mother's stuff (without asking her) and now I managed to lose one of her favorite earrings. The one time I decide to do something fun, I manage to screw up."

Rick listened quietly. He could relate with her. Being the eldest, his parents often looked to him to be an example for his brother. He always had to be the responsible one. If it weren't for Shane, he probably wouldn't have done half of the most memorable things in his life.

"Alright, I'll help you. So what does this earring look like?

Michonne replied back enthusiastically,"It's a diamond studded piece. It's flawless in design. The earring is shaped in the form of a hexagon, with a gold pin in the back."

Rick listened carefully and replied, "Tell you what, why don't you call me back in 15 minutes on this number, and I'll tell you if I find it."

"OKAY! THANKS!"

"Sure, bye."

Rick made a quick call to Tom and explained the situation. Tom indeed had found an earring and was planning to sell it by the end of next week, if no one had come looking for it.

"Go to the back room, you will find my desk. Inside the second drawer, there is an old telephone book. If you open it up you will see that it's actually a box. The earring is in there. It's a beautiful piece. Might be worth a fortune. I'm sad to see it go."

"When are you getting back Tom?" Rick inquired patiently.

"I'll be there in about 1/2 hour. Judy just needs some help around house. Wish we had kids. But God didn't want to us to have any."

Rick let out a sigh and responded kindly "I am sorry Tom. I'll wait. Take as long as you need."

"Rick, you're good man."

With that Tom hung up the phone

10 minutes later, the phone rang again.

"Hello? did you find it?"

"Yes, I did.

"Seriously?

"Seriously!

"Oh wow! Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome.

"uh, so can I get it back?

Rick couldn't help but laugh at the anxiousness in her voice. She was obviously really worried.

"You know, why don't I hand it over to the police. I'll contact Atlanta PD. It shouldn't be hard.

She almost screamed back "NNNOOOOO! NO NO NO. The police showing up here with the earring is going to be worse. Besides, my dad is one of the top lawyers in the city. Most of the cops here know him by name. You hand over that earring to Atlanta P.D you might as well call up my parents right now and tell them what happened."

Rick chuckled softly, "I am sorry, but this earring looks expensive. And like you said, it belongs to your mother."

"Come on! Gimmme a break here. Look my parents are out of town. They will be here the day after tomorrow. I'll drive down there tomorrow and get it from you. What do you say?"

"Tomorrow I'll be at a party. It's a college party! My brother is throwing one. And he asked me to come. He said he needs a wing man"

"Oh! So you're going to a college party, purely to help out your brother? Not for the chance of getting lucky with a (drunk) college girl!"

Rick paused before replying, "Excuse me?"

"I am sorry, that's none of my business." She seemed annoyed with herself.

Rick bit back a smile." You know for a second there, you almost sounded jealous."

She almost exploded back "What? me, jealous? Why would I be jealous. I don't even know you."

"Okay" Rick replied back nonchalantly.

She spoke much more quietly into the phone "I mean, look I really need your help. And you talked about being responsible. Now you are blowing me off to bone some college chick...Shit! I mean, you're neglecting your duties as an adult to help out a...a... younger adult."

Rick had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing out. She seemed like a sweet girl. "Fair enough. You come here in the morning and we'll meet up and I'll give you the earring and that will be the end of it."

"I can't! I'm still in high school, remember Mr. responsibility? I can get there by 7 PM."

"I'm sorry. I promised my brother, I'd be at his party by 6 PM. He needs my help. Look it's not about having fun. A part of me would rather not go for this thing. But he's my brother, and family comes first. By the way, that's another lesson in responsibility."

She sounded frustrated, "OOOHHH... OK. How about I come to the party?"

Rick paused briefly. He thought carefully before replying. She was 18, so technically she was an adult. But he was 23, and he was an officer of the law. It just didn't seem right to meet up with an 18 year old girl (who was in high school) at a college party.

"I don't know. It just seems a little weird."

She decided to took charge, "look I am not coming out there to party to with you. I gotta get back home and study for my exams that starts next week. So let's not make a big deal about this."

"Alright here's the address" Rick gave her the address.

She finally asked him the most obvious question "So how will I recognize you? I mean what is your name?

Rick thought for a while, "Jeff. My name is Jeff. Just ask around for the Jeff who's running the show. By the way, what's your name?"

"Mich..elle. My name is Michelle", Michone replied back quickly.

"Well nice talking to you Michelle. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, Jeff. And thanks!'

They both went quiet, unsure of how to end the call.

Rick slowly spoke "Listen, Michelle. If something like this happens again, just be honest! It won't be as bad as you think. Your parents may yell at you, be angry with you, and may even ground you. But they'll also learn to trust you. It's the adult thing to do!"

Michonne responded back sarcastically

"Okay, Jeff. I'll remember that the next time I lose one of my mother's very expensive jewelry."

"Or you could wear them after asking her permission..." Rick teased.

"Goodbye, Jeff!" With that, Michonne hung up the phone.

 **The next day, 7:30 pm**

"I still don't get it, Rick. Why did you give my name to her?"

Rick replied back, annoyingly.

"Because I am an officer now. I can't be meeting up with some kid who I talked on the phone with. If she comes here and asks around for you, it's going to be less suspicious. We can always say it was one of your friends from another college or something. And because I am your big brother who agreed to come to YOUR college party to be YOUR wing-man!"

"Okay, that's sounds fair" Jeff agreed sheepishly.

Rick wasn't entirely sure if he believed his own argument. But he knew a part of him was excited to meet this girl. After she hung up last night, he kept trying to recall her voice and the conversation they had. She just seemed like a very interesting person. Someone he would like to know. She was 18, may be he could...

Jeff voice interrupted his thoughts "...so the girl's name is Laurie. She's a friend of mine. She's been asking about you. She has a very hot and very desirable friend - Lavanya who she promised to bring along if I were to introduce you to her. So do your brother a favor and get that stick out of your ass. Meet Laurie. Hang out with her."

Rick turned to look at Jeff

"So you asked me come here to double date?

Jeff looked at him, as if he had been insulted..."No, I brought you out here to meet Laurie and to help me out with all the party stuff."

Rick didn't look convinced.

Jeff decided to explain further "Remember, the first month on your job, you stopped by my college to drop off some home made food from Mom? Well, you were in your squad car, in your uniform. Some of the girls over there noticed. Laurie in particular. For some reason, that is beyond me, she thought you were 'totally hot'. So I brought you here 'cause if I were to push you into Lauri's direction. Then Laurie would push Lavanya into mine. It's a win-win! Besides, you'll like her. Laurie's exactly your kinda gal. Oh, and did I mention she's super cute, in a school girl kinda way. You could get her to wear a tight little uniform with a short skirt.."

"Oh SHUT UP, Jeff!" Rick retorted back

Jeff grinned at Rick."Speaking of school girls, where's yours? Didn't she say 7 pm?"

Jeff suddenly saw Laurie. "There she is. Go talk to her."

Rick looked towards Laurie's direction. Jeff wasn't bragging, she was definitely 'super cute'.

Rick turned back to look at Jeff "What about Michelle?"

Jeff blinked at Rick

"What about her? Oh you mean the earring? Give it to me. I'll hand it over. Besides she'll be looking for Jeff, not Rick, remember!

...

Michonne pulled her car into the parking lot. She was a bit nervous. Every since she hung up the phone, she couldn't stop thinking about Jeff. He was so calm and sweet. Admittedly she hated the way he lectured her. But he was right. She should be responsible for her actions. And that southern accent with that sexy voice, he just sounded so dreamy. When he asked her name, she panicked. She replied with her mother's name, unsure of how to respond.

When the bell rang at 3 PM, she left school with the thought of driving home, freshening up, and then driving down to the party.

Once at home, the thought of meeting Jeff sounded exciting. Not only did she freshen up but she put on a black cocktail dress that her friends described as 'sexiest thing they had ever seen".

With her back turned towards the mirror, she craned her neck backwards as she tied the straps of her dress together. She turned around to look at herself. The dress fit perfectly around her body, accentuating her figure. The dressed reached right above her knees, at her mid-calf's. She looked down from her kness to her toned legs in high heels.

 _'Damn! I look hot. Would this be too much for a college party?'_

She looked at the clock and realized she was running late.

Now, as she sat in her car, she realized the stupidity of her actions. _'I'm about to walk into a party to meet stranger I spoke with on the phone last night, dressed the way I am, to retrieve a lost earring.'_

She had accused Jeff of trying to get with a college girl, and what the hell was she doing now?

 _'ohhhh...I should have dressed more casually. What the hell have I gotten myself into?'_

Finally she found the courage to turn off the engine and step out of the car.

...

Michonne walked in slowly trying to seem like she belonged there. A lot of male and female heads turned in her direction. She continued to walk as if she hadn't seen any of them. She saw a girl sitting back on a couch. Michonne approached her quietly and asked "Hi, can you point towards Jeff? the one who organized this party."

The girl didn't reply at first. She looked at Michonne from head to toe and then quietly pointed towards a guy standing in a leather jacket and jeans. He was chatting with a blonde girl in a red dress. She turned back to look at Michonne, "looks like you missed your chance, honey!"

Michonne's heart almost sank. She didn't know why she was disappointed. But there he was, Jeff, busy flirting with a pretty girl college, just as Michonne said he would.

She didn't want to waste anymore time. She walked up to Jeff and tapped on his shoulder.

Jeff turned around and his eyes almost popped out.

"Are you Jeff? " The beautiful creature asked him.

"UH...HUH?" was all that Jeff could manage to respond.

"Are you Jeff? The guy from the bar?"Michonne asked, again.

"YES! YES!. You must be Michelle, right?"

The blonde had just noticed Michonne. She put her arm around Jeff's and began to size her up.

"Yeah, I'm Michelle. Do you have my earring?"

The blonde looked at Jeff questioningly. He grinned at her and said something about, 'my cousin's friend...she borrowed her stuff etc.."

Michonne immediately knew something was off. The Jeff she had spoken to was not that cowardly. He sounded mature and kind. He sounded like the kind of guy you could trust - _at least enough to wear make up and put on a hot dress and drive 50 miles out into the country_. This guy sounded like a douche.

Jeff pulled out the earring which was in a box. Michonne opened it and confirmed it was her mother's earring. She closed it and looked back at Jeff.

She coldly turned away to leave.

"A 'thank you' would be nice", Jeff called out mockingly.

Michonne stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Jeff.

"Sure, no problem. Just point me towards the Jeff I spoke with last night."

Jeff blinked back at Michonne and then grimaced.

"He's right over there" Jeff pointed towards another guy. He was standing at the corner of the room talking to a brunette. His back was turned towards them.

"That's my bother, he's name's-

"I am leaving. Thank your brother for me." with that Michonne quickly walked out.

Inwardly, Michonne was cursing herself, ' _he gave me his brother's name and handed over the earring to him. He didn't even want to meet me. AHHHH! I can't believe how stupid I was.'_

As she got into her car she realized her eyes were wet. She angrily wiped them off and started the car. As she shifted the gear from P to D, she looked out the windscreen. She vowed never to feel this vulnerable with another man, ever again.

...

Rick was having a good time with Laurie. They had a lot in common and he could definitely feel a connection. As he walked towards the bar to get a refill for them, he ran into Jeff.

"Hey bro, you having a good time?"

Rick blushed, "Yeah! She's sweet. We're thinking of getting out of here soon."

Jeff teased him "OOOHHH someone's getting lucky tonight".

Rick mind wandered back to something similar Michelle had told him.

"Hey did you see Michelle? Did she come to get the earring?"

Jeff gave him a toothy grin "She sure did! And man what a bombshell!"

Rick raised his eyebrows at him.

Jeff continued "Dude she may be in school, but I'd totally sleep with her even if it meant I'd end up in jail.

"Really? Well if that ever happens I'd be happy to arrest you!" Rick responded back. "So what's she like?

Jeff looked at Rick, incredulously, "she's a beautiful black woman, hot boobs, amazing butt and did I mention drop dead gorgeous? Oh, and by the way she was dressed, I'd say she was looking forward to meeting you!"

Rick was taken aback for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"I mean a girl does not put on a smoking hot dress, and come looking that gorgeous, just to meet a guy, to collect a lost possession."

Rick quickly looked around if he could spot her. "Where is she? She didn't leave, did she?"

"afraid so, Rick. You see, your girlfriend figured out that I wasn't you. May be it was something I said, I don't know. But then I said you were my brother and I pointed you out. Unfortunately, you were back there flirting with Laurie. Your back was turned to us, but we could tell you guys were having a good time. The poor girl had this hurt expression on her face. She asked me to tell you 'thank you' from her, and left."

Rick immediately felt guilty. He wanted to meet her as well. But Jeff had pushed him towards Laurie and he just got caught up in moment.

"Relax man. Maybe it wasn't meant to be! May be you were supposed to end up with Laurie tonight." Jeff patted on Rick's shoulder and walked off to join Lavanya.

Rick stood there thinking for a while. He turned to look at Laurie talking with her friends. Wondering how the night would have turned out if he had met Michelle.

 **3 years later**

Most of the people at that party were invited to Rick and Laurie's wedding.

As Rick stood in the church awaiting his bride, a thought flashed across his mind. "Would I be standing here, today, if I had met Michelle that night?"


	3. Richonne, it's not that simple

_**No more one-shots. This going to be a story (and chapter 1 & 2 are going to be a part of it). Follow-up to chapter 1. After's Richonne's shower, Richonne moved on to the bedroom. **__**Things are about to get serious. Rated M!**_

 **Thank you thelisa17, sssamm23 and guests for your reviews. Thank you for taking the time out to read this story. Hope you like this new chapter.**

* * *

"Sit down"

"I am all wet."

That's okay, just sit down."

Michonne sat down on Rick's bed to allow him to towel her down.

She looked at him dreamily "I think I should be the one servicing you. You did make me come, twice."

Rick looked back at her gratefully "Really? Well...you bring out the best in me."

Rick squatted down in front of her and took hold of her left hand in his right. He brought his lips down on her fingers. He looked into her water strained face and "You're beautiful. You're just so God damn beautiful."

Michonne traced his face with her fingers "Well, you bring out the best in me, too.

He took the towel and started wiping her face, slowly. As the towel moved downwards, Rick raised himself slightly and kissed her neck and then her breasts.

Michonne moved her hands behind, and placed them palma first, on the mattress. Sitting back, she spread apart her legs to either side.

Placing his hands on her knees, Rick leaned forwards and kissed her on her clit. He turned his head and kissed her inner thighs, and then her knees.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his lips against her skin.

When Rick finished toweling her off, Michonne looked at Rick with a wicked smile, "Alright, my turn".

She asked Rick to stand up, as she took the towel from him. She started rubbing him from the leg up until she reached his crotch. She slowly toweled off the remaining water residue and kissed him on the head of his penis. She raised herself higher and started rubbing his torso, with the towel. She let her hands move around his neck and kissed him.

Rick tasted her lips, and then her tongue. He felt her bite down on his lower lip, hard. He could taste his blood. Her tongue caressed the broken skin, but he wanted more. He leaned forwards, to suck on her tongue.

She pulled away and broke the kiss. Then teasingly, seductively, she bit down on her lips, and brushed her nose against his.

Rick pushed forwards with his face, but Michonne pulled back and shook her head at him.

She asked him to turn around and then proceeded to kiss him on the curvature of his spine. She embraced him from behind, interlocking her hands around his navel. She bit into his left shoulder, sliding her palms over his abs and his chest, finally reaching his shoulders. She rubbed herself against him and nibbled his left ear. Rick tiled his head to the right, to give her more room. Her hands moved down and tightly gripped his ass cheeks. She squatted down and kissed him on each cheek. Her left hand moved to the front and stroked his hard cock.

Rick couldn't take it anymore. He wanted her, now!

"ROUND 2!" Rick said breathlessly, as he turned around and pulled her up by the arms. As she got up, he embraced her as tight as he could - his right around her, his palm against her back. His left on the back of her head, pushing her towards him, savouring her mouth with his.

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Dad." Carl called through the door. " You up?"

Rick and Michonne, both tuned around to look at the door. An annoyed expression formed across Rick's face. He looked at Michonne who broke into silent laughter.

She caught hold of his penis and whispered into Rick's ear, "Yeah, he's up."

Rick grinned back at her, and shook his head.

He called back to Carl "Yeah...hold on."

Michonne quickly ran into the closer as Rick scooped the towel of the floor and tied it around his waist.

He turned to the side, to hide his erection, before opening the door half way.

"Sorry, Carl. I was taking a shower."

"Okay Dad, I though we could have breakfast. Is Judy up?"

"Carol took her last night, remember? Why don't you head on downstairs and get started with breakfast? I'll be down soon."

"Okay Dad." Carl replied back and moved towards the stairs.

Rick closed the door and turned around to see Michonne, naked, walk out of the closet.

He peeled the towel off him "now where we?"

Michonne smiled back weekly. "Rick, tell me the truth. There's a woman's night gown in there. Who's is it?"

His face darkened, and his smile faltered. He was never a liar. And he wasn't going to start now. Especially not with her. After a brief pause, "It's not what you think."

"Tell me who's is it?", Michonne spoke in her most serious tone.

Rick could almost see the disappointment in her face and the heartbreak that was about to follow.

"It's.. Jessie's" Rick said quietly.

Michonne turned around and headed towards the bathroom, and closed the door.

"Michonne..." Rick called out.

She closed the door behind him, and started putting on her clothes. Her chest was starting to feel heavy. Her eyes were starting to sting. Her ears were ringing. "it's.. Jessie's". She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Rick picked up his pants from the floor and pulled it on. He headed towards the door and knocked softly. "Michonne, please...you've got to hear me out. Jessie was here one night ago and..."

Michonne opened the bathroom door and started to walk out, without looking at Rick. Rick reached out and grabbed her forearm. She took a step back, and pulled herself out of his grip.

Rick didn't quit. "I don't love her, Michonne. I love you!"

Michonne couldn't bear to hear him. She knew if she looked at him, she would cry. She continued to walk towards the door.

"For Christ's sake Michonne, don't be like this. JUST HEAR ME OUT! YOU SAID...YOU SAID YOU LOVE ME!"

She turned around to face him."Yes, I DID! BECAUSE I DO! But then I remember everything you did for Jessie. You got into a fight with her husband and almost choked him to death! ALMOST RISKED OUR SAFETY HERE, YOUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY!"

"I thought, you were protecting a woman from an abusive alcoholic. I thought you were protecting someone who couldn't protect herself, and her children. And I told you that 'no matter what happens I'm with you' because I believed in you and your decision to help her."

"But it wasn't just that, was it? you were jealous of Pete. You wanted Jessie for yourself. And then you killed him! But this time you had Deanna's approval. And just like that, Jessie was all yours! Tell me I'm wrong, Rick!"

Rick lowered his head in shame. He wanted to scream out she was wrong, but she wasn't. He did think of those things. He did feel that way. But he knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't in love with Jessie.

"What Rick? You got nothing to say now?" MIchonne spoke quietly.

"It wasn't that simple. She was alone and I felt responsible. But I don't love her.I LOVE YOU" Rick finally said.

"FUCK YOU, RICK! FUCK YOU!" Michonne yelled at him."You saw me in the shower, naked! I practically asked you to join me. You were horny, so you got in and fucked me! THAT'S IT!

"No, you got it wrong. I do love you. And I really want to be with you."

Tears streamed down Michonne's face "I don't believe you! For the first time, I don't believe you and I can't anymore."

Rick saw her tears and moved forwards to hug her. He caught hold of her arms. She wanted to break down and cry. She wanted him to hold her. But she couldn't! She wouldn't allow it. She tried to pull her arms from his vice like grip. But he held on to her as hard as he could. They struggled against each other.

"LET GO OF ME, RICK!" She felt his grip loosen around her right wrist. Using all the force she could muster, she punched him. Rick winced as his head jerked to the side, but he didn't let go. She hit him again, and pulled herself free. She saw that she had cut him right under his left eye.

Michonne almost spat out in contempt "I'm NOT Jessie. I don't need saving! I can take care of myself! "

"Michonne, please!" Rick begged."Just give me a chance to explain."

Michonne wiped her tears, and spoke to him quietly.

"No, Rick. This is not your fault. This is my fault. I had expectations of you. That was my mistake."

Rick was bleeding from his cut. He looked miserable. A part of Michonne was starting to feel sorry for him. But she couldn't allow herself to be that way, not now, not with him.

"I told you last night...about the guy who broke my heart. It wasn't entirely his fault. But, I promised myself I wouldn't let any man make me feel that way again. I promised I'd never feel vulnerable with anyone ever again. And I did that for a long time. I didn't expect anything out of any relationships. And I never got hurt. I never cried. And then...you came along..."

Rick wished he could hold her. No matter what she said, it wasn't going to change the way he felt about her.

Michonne's body shook in rage and sorrow. She pointed a shaky finger towards the bathroom door. "what happened in there - I haven't behaved that way with any man before you!" She gritted her teeth in frustration and tried to control herself. "And I did that because I wanted to feel that way with you. I wanted to throw myself on you - and feel weak in your arms. Feel safe, against your body!"

Rick moved forwards and embraced her. He wrapped his hands tightly around her arms. She didn't move. She turned her face away to not to look at him.

Rick's eyes were wet when he spoke "You can yell at me all want. You can't say the most hurtful things. You can hit me as much as you like, but you won't break me. You'll never stop me from loving you. You'll never stop me from wanting you."

Michonne remained silent. She kept her head turned away from him. Finally she said "let go of me Rick."

"Michonne, please! Rick kissed her on her cheek. "I love you"

Michonne took a deep breath and said "then let go of me..."

Rick dropped his arms to his sides, and took a step back. He kept his head lowered. He couldn't bear to watch her leave.

Michonne walked towards the bedroom door, opened it and left.

As he heard the door close behind her, Rick saw his tears fall down, and hit the floor.

* * *

 **A/N: SON OF A BITCH! Rick just keeps breaking Michonne's heart! Doesn't he?**


	4. Richonne, 16 years apart

**_One more flashback, from Rick and Michonne's past. I just felt there was more story there to explore. This one took longer than I thought. Starts of from the party (in chapter 2). So Rick found out from Jeff that 'Michelle' (Michonne) had indeed made it. But she left in a hurry, when she saw that he was with someone else. Rick not being the guy to let things go, and his constant need to do the right thing, decides to go after her (well, he tries)._**

 ** _Thank you Saaammm123, Richonne1317 and focused property for your wonderful reviews, and everyone who read this fic. Will try to come out with chapter 5, faster._**

* * *

"Relax man. Maybe it wasn't meant to be! May be you were supposed to end up with Laurie tonight." Jeff patted on Rick's shoulder and walked off to join Lavanya.

Rick stood there thinking for a while. He turned to look at Laurie talking with her friends. Wondering how the night would have turned out if he had met Michelle, Rick walked towards Laurie.

As he neared her, his eyes fell upon the phone on the corner of the wall. An idea flashed through his head.

Rick quickly turned around and walked towards the phone

"Hello, John?"

"Yeah."

"John, It's Rick. I need a favor."

After the conversation had ended, Rick hung up the phone and walked back towards Laurie.

"Were you on the phone right now, telling your parents you'll be late?" Laurie asked playfully.

Rick looked back at her smiled. "Actually, it was a friend. I needed a favor from him."

Laurie "Oh! what kind of favor?"

"I need to find this person, but have no idea where to look. Fortunately, this person had made a phone call to one of the bars here in town. My friend, John, who works for the phone company, is going to check out the number this person called from."

"Is that entirely legal?" Laurie looked at Rick suspiciously.

Rick lowered his head and shuffled his feet, "Not exactly. But John and I've been friends since we were in school. He trusts me. Besides, I'm just asking for the number."

"Okay! So who is this mystery person?"

"That's what I am hoping to find out." Rick responded matter-of-factly.

"So that's what you're gonna do tomorrow! What do you plan on doing tonight?" Laurie traced her finger over Rick's hands.

Rick looked back and smiled at her. His inner voice vented out in frustration 'Why can't you spend the night with her? Why the hell are you thinking of Michelle? This really sweet, and very cute chick has the hots for YOU, DUMMY!She is standing right in front of you. GOD! YOU'RE A SORRY ASS PIECE OF SHIT!"

Rick softly held Laurie's hands "I'm going to take you home and kiss you good night."

Laurie stared back at him expectantly.

Rick continued "...and then I am going to say we should do this again sometime."

Laurie loosened her grip, and her smile faded a little. She quietly replied back, "Okay...as long as you mean it."

 ** _The Next Day_**

Michonne sat in her room, stone faced and dead serious.

"What did he do to you?"

Michonne turned around to look at her friend Cindy.

"I thought you came to my house, at 8 in the morning, to study?

Cindy rolled her eyes at her "Yeah. I did, I mean I still do. But when you said, yesterday, you were going to meet a complete stranger at some party, I expected a phone call from you in the middle of the night. I mean, how did it go? What did he look like? I need some details."

Michonne turned back to look at her notes. "I went there to get my mother's earring. I did that and then came back home."

Cindy scowled at her "Hmmm, I'd have believed that, if someone didn't spend most of yesterday repeating the conversation she had with a stranger. I distinctly remember the same someone saying -and I quote- 'he had the sexiest voice I'd ever heard' or was it the accent?"

"Cindy, SHUT UP!"

Cindy was taken aback by Michonne's sudden outburst. She quickly lowered her head and went back to her text book.

Michonne took a deep breath and turned around to look at her friend. "I am sorry."

Cindy looked back at her "So you're going to tell me what happened?"

Michonne scowled at her and went back to her notes.

After a while, "I put on my black dress and went to see him!"

"AANNDD?" Cindy exclaimed with excitement!

Michonne looked back grudgingly.

Cindy softened her expression "Sorry... and?"

"And he was with some other girl. He handed off the earring to his brother to give it to me. I only saw the back of his head. I grabbed the earring and left. He didn't even want to see me."

"That fucking asshole! Well it's his loss. You look amazing in that dress, and you're an amazing person. He's never going to find some one as amazing as you." Cindy retorted back angrily.

Richonne raised an eyebrow at Cindy

"Too much?" Cindy asked

"Yes! Very, too much!" Michonne replied back annoyingly.

"Okay fine, he's lucky he never met you! He dodged a bullet. HAPPY?" Cindy said sarcastically.

Michonne turned her head away in silence.

"I'm sorry, Michonne. I was kidding. God, I've never ever seen you like this. You really liked this guy, huh?"

"I don't know, Cindy. I feel stupid every time I think about him. I don't even know what he looks like. And then I remember how I excited I was when I was dressing up, and then I walked into the party... OHHH! IT INFURIATES ME!

"But why, Michonne? I mean I get the part about you being stood up. Even the whole mystery behind meeting a stranger, like a blind date! But THIS WAS JUST WALKING IN BLIND! You talked to him for like 10 seconds and now you're moppin' around like you lost the love of your life!"

Michonne just stared blankly at the wall. "I felt something - that's the best way I can explain it."

Cindy snickered at her remark. "You know how dumb that sounds?"

"Yeah, I do. And I know, we make fun of people like this. But you know what, it's only stupid and dumb until it happens to you. 'Cause right now it doesn't feel stupid. It doesn't feel dumb. It feels REAL!

Cindy saw the tears in her eyes.

"From the way he talked, he sounded sincere. He sounded like someone I could trust. I expected...somethin... And there he was flirting with some college bimbo. I just felt...so disappointed!"

Michonne turned to look back her friend.

"Does that make me stupid?"

Cindy reached out and grabbed her shoulder "Yes, hun. That makes you stupid. 'Cause it wasn't real. He was a smooth talker. AND YOU BABBLED ON LIKE..like...like some high school gilr - which you are. You put your heart out there and got burned. It happens! And, yes, he probably went home with that bimbo and banged her brains out. But you went there to get your mother's earring, and he was nice enough to give it back. So he's not a complete jerk. So what you're going to do now is get up, wash your face, pull your self together and get back here and help me study.

"High school is almost over, Michonne! You're going to go off to college and there you gonna find a nice "DICK" that's going to bang your brains out as well!"

Michonne let out a chortle and wiped her face. "Thanks, Cindy". She got up and moved towards the bathroom.

The phone in the hallway started ringing.

"Can you get the phone? It might be mom and dad. They said they'd be getting back today."

Michonne walked into the bathroom.

Cindy headed towards the phone. "Hello?"

She heard a man's voice with a southern accent "Hello? may I speak with Michelle?"

"She's travelling; should be back later today. I'm sorry, who is this?"

"uh.. this is...Jeff. Actually I'm Rick. Jeff is my..."

Cindy realized who it was - _'the balls on this bastard! Glad, Michonne used her mother's name._ '

"Jeff, as in Jeff from the party?" Cindy inquired quietly.

Rick responded, hesitantly "UHHH...yes. Kind of. Actually I'm... I'm sorry who is this?"

"I'm her friend! Look Jeff, I hear you're big on giving out advice to _kids_. Let me give you one - why don't you do what ADULTS do, and go play with someone your own age. In fact, I heard you met someone last night. So why don't you give her a call. Wait a minute! How did you get this number?"

Rick patiently waited for her to finish, "Uh...they have a...caller ID at the bar! Look, I just want to talk to her, alright? What happened last night was a misunderstanding. Look I can give you my number, can you tell Michelle to call me back? Or I could call her, just tell me when she'll be free."

"Don't you get it? She does not want to speak to you. Look she's got her exams coming up. So will you leave her alone?"

Rick stared down the phone book, and saw the address next to the number.

 _Samsonn Ferai,_

 _2201 Oak Lane,_

Rick always knew that he had a wild side. A side that acted out on impulse and anger. That side was telling him to hang up and drive down to her house. He could wait outside, until she got back.

'STOP!' JUST STOP. THE GIRL DOES NOT WANT TO SEE YOU!' - his rational side reasoned with him. 'JUST LET HER GO. SHE'S NOT MEANT FOR YOU'.

Rick took a deep breath and spoke into the receiver, "alright. Just tell her I'm sorry". Rick put down the receiver and walked away from the payphone. He kicked the front-left tyre of his car, in frustration. He looked around him, at downtown Atlanta, as he decided to head back to King's county."

Michonne, after having washed her face, exited the bathroom.

Cindy was reading her notes. "You took you're time"

Michonne replied back "I stared at the mirror - in self reflection. Took longer than I thought."

As she sat back on her chair, she asked Cindy "Who was on the phone?"

Cindy looked at her friend, at her red eyes and her puffy face."Wrong number."

 ** _3 Years later_**

"You feeling nervous bro?"

"Nope"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Not even a little bit?"

Rick gave Jeff a look that silenced him. "You know, I only need one best man, Jeff."

Jeff looked at Shane who was watching an old football game on T.V.

"You hear that, Shane? He doesn't need you."

"He's talking about you, bud. You're the one naggin' him like some dumb hoe!"

The three of them were in Rick room's as he got ready, for his wedding.

Rick looked at his reflection, as he adjusted his bow tie.

Jeff replied "Me? No way. I'm the reason this wedding is even happening in the first place. If it weren't for me, Rick wouldn't have met Laurie. Ain't that right bro?"

Rick turned around and smiled at Jeff "Yeah. You pushed me towards Laurie that night. We dated, fell in love, and now we are going to get married."

" Thank you! You see, Shane! That's why I'm his best man! What's your reason?"

Shane took his eyes of the T.V and in a dead serious tone he said "I told Rick I'd shoot you in the leg and then leave you out in the forest to be eaten alive. Apparently, your brother likes you." Shane turned back to watch the game.

Jeff looked at Rick uncertainly. Rick snickered at him, "he's just yanking your chain. Look, all jokes aside I love you guys, and I'm glad I have the two of you as my best men. Now let's go. I don't want to be late."

As they walked down the stairs, Jeff remembered someone else from that night. "Wait, weren't you supposed to meet some other girl that night? What was her name, something 'M..."

"Michelle.", Rick turned to look at Jeff.

"Right! Michelle. God, she was hot! I don't think you could've handled her man. She was way out of your league. Although, one can wonder."

As Rick stood in the church awaiting his bride, a thought flashed across his mind. "Would I be standing here, today, if I had met Michelle that night?"

 ** _13 Years later_**

"There's an old case I want you look at. I've talked to the Sheriff at King's county, he's an old friend of mine. He said he'd be sending over one of his deputies with all the case files."

Michonne sighed in response. "Dad, I didn't leave my job at the D.A's office in New York, and join your firm, to work on some old case."

Samsonn Ferai laughed at his daughter's remark."That's right dear, you came here to be a partner."

"NO! I came here because my dad's THE top criminal lawyer in Atlanta, and he get's good cases. I can make partner with my eyes shut. It's winning cases that makes my day. I mean throw me a conspiracy case, the double murder trials...gimme the good stuff, old man!"

"All in good time, my dear. Right now, I want you to handle this case of mine. I would have done it myself, but I'm stuck with this other case here in Ohio. Looks like I won't make it back until the end of the week. Take a look at the case files, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

"What's it about?" Michonne asked suspiciously.

"Now you don't want me spoiling the surprise, do you? The deputy will be at our office by 6 PM."

"Okay, Dad. "

"How's my grandson doing?"

Michonne looked at the cradle next to her bed "Sleeping like an angel"

Samsonn's voice suddenly became stern "And how's his father? Still getting high with his friends?"

"Dad, don't start."

"Alright, but you deserve someone better than Mike".

"Dad, he's Andre's father. And I love Mike."

"Really? You love him?" Samsonn asked sarcastically.

"YES", Michonne responded with a tone of finality.

"Okay hun, give Andre a kiss from me. And call me after you get a chance to go over the case."

...

Rick sat in the squad car with Shane, as they ate their burgers and fries. Rick was not looking forward to going to Atlanta, later in the evening. Things with Laurie were getting difficult, and more time away did not seem like the right move.

But the Sheriff had asked him a favor. When he had given him the address, the name - Samsonn Ferai stuck out like a sore thumb. ' _Why does that name sound familiar?'_ Rick wondered.' After thinking about a while, Rick shrugged and joined Shane on their regular patrol.

Rick had more pressing concerns. He just couldn't forget what Laurie had told him that morning - "Sometimes, I wonder if you even care about us at all?". He'll never forget the look on Carl's face. It devastated him that Laurie could even think of something like that, let alone say it out loud, especially in front of Carl. ' _Is she that superficial or was she just trying to hurt me?'_ Rick wondered.

He looked at his friend Shane, who he knew had been with more women than him.

"What's the difference between men and women?".

Shane replied back curiously "This a joke?"

"No, I'm serious."

As Shane and Rick talked, their radio beeped "All available units. High speed-pursuit in progress. Linden county units requests local assistance...

Rick was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, shot in the back by an unknown assailant in the car. He could see Shane, terrified, kneeling over him "shh shhh...hey, look at me..you stay with me... Rick was finding it difficult to breath. His back felt like it was burning. Images of Laurie and Carl rushed into his head. He recalled his brother's fatal car crash from 2 years ago. He remembered crying. He remembered how Laurie held him close to her chest. He remembered the day his son was born. And then, when he was about lose consciousness... _Samsonn Ferai...Michelle's dad_.

...

Michonne closed the files she was working on, and checked the clock in her office for the fourth time. It was 6:21 PM. Finally, she decided to go home.

"Guess the deputy stood me up."

 ** _1 year and 2 months later_**

Rick walked towards the prison fence, curious to see what looked like a walker carrying a basket. As he neared the fence he saw her, covered in dirt, slime, blood and guts. He looked at her, and sized her up.

Michonne placed her hands on the steel fence and looked at Rick. She was tired and bleeding from the wound on her leg. She could barely stand.

Their eyes met through the steel fence and they stared intensely at each other.

It had been over 16 years since their first conversation. The world had come to an end. They had lost their family and friends. Their lives had changed forever.

And now, they had finally found each other.

* * *

 **A/N: ...and that's how they met!**


	5. Richonne, not letting you go

**Hey guys. Had to step back a moment to look at** ** _what happened and what's going on_** **, to see what was going to happen. Anyways, this is chapter 5 - takes place right after, Michonne asks Rick to 'let her go', and walks out on him. Hope you all like it.  
**

 _ **Thank you Saaammm123, Simple1234, Songbird11 and focusedOnProsperity(sorry for writing the wrong name, earlier), Thelisa17 and MichonneGalaxy for your awesome reviews. I had a wide smile on my face (that kept getting bigger) as I read through each of them.**_

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Closing the bedroom door, Michonne walked to her room as fast as she could. She wiped her tears away, willing herself to calm down. The things she said were still ringing in her ears. Her mind kept replaying what had transpired, again and again. She felt guilty and angry at the same time. Images of Rick flashed in her mind – his warmth, the way he held her, how they kissed, how happy she had felt. And then she had seen the night gown; another woman's clothes inside his closet, tucked away like his dirty little secret.

 _"Why did this take so long?"_

 _'cause I didn't think I could ever fall in love again...and I didn't know I was, until now.  
_

'Did he really mean it?', she thought to herself.

 _"...and I didn't think you'd ever want me"_

'For what? To be your fuck buddy?'

 _"Fuck me, Rick! Fuck me, now! Fuck me as hard as you can. Make me scream, make me cry."_

'God! I basically begged him to take me! Did I really say those words out loud? Why? Why would I do that?'

 _"I love you, Rick!"_

'Yes, I love him. I have known it for a while now. No matter how tough I felt, he could always make me nervous. They way he would look at me, sometimes. I thought there was something there.'

 _"I love you, Michonne!"_

He only said it back, because I said it first.

She opened the door to her room and walked towards her bed. She grabbed her sword that was lying beneath it and quickly headed downstairs.

She hoped she wouldn't run into Carl. She was sure she had screamed loud enough for everyone who was awake to hear. As soon as she reached downstairs she headed towards the door.

"I pushed Rick towards, Jessie."

She turned around to see Carol. She was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, like she was waiting for Michonne.

"I used to be a Jessie. I was married to a Pete. When I found out Pete was hitting her, I asked Rick to get involved. And then he killed Pete."

"You know what he's like - Rick feels the things he does. He felt responsible for Jessie and her kids."

Carol almost seemed like she was pleading. She was saying she was sorry.

"I know. And I'm not going to get in the way." Michonne responded coldly. She turned towards the door to leave.

"Michonne, please don't leave us." Carl's voice called out.

Michonne turned around to see him walk out from behind Carol. He had Judith in his arms, who also seemed to be looking at her.

"I don't know what's going on between you and Dad, but please don't leave."

He looked so anxious. No matter how mad she was at Rick, she loved Carl and Judith and knew nothing would change that.

She reassured him. "Carl, I'm never going to leave you and Judith. I'll always be here for you guys. But right now…I..I just need some time to myself." Michonne smiled at Carl before closing door behind her.

Of course, Michonne knew what Rick must have felt like. She probably knew him better than anyone in that house. She understood why Rick would have felt responsible for Jessie, but what about the last few weeks? The flirtatious looks, the personal questions, touching her every opportunity he got- She knew she didn't imagine all of it! What about yesterday, at the party _"my door is always open, for you._ " – That's what he had said. He had then kissed her for the first time, right in front of everyone. All the while he was having a fling with Jessie on the side!

Michonne walked further away towards the gates. Cutting down some walkers seemed like an ideal way to vent out the anger and frustration she was feeling right now.

Deep inside, she was just disappointed. She expected better from him. Rick was the first man, since her father, to have won her respect. He got her to come back from the crazy life she led, after she had lost her son and Mike. He took her in and showed that she was cared for. She still remembered his look of concern when he asked her at the prison "You gonna stay a little while". She was going to say 'no'. But then she heard herself say "Just a little while".

And then there was them - from the first time they set their eyes on each other. She remembers fainting and being carried inside. Water being poured onto her chest, and then she heard his voice.

 _"Hey, hey..it's all right. Look at me. Look at me.'"_

'That voice, it sounded so familiar', she thought to herself.

She tried to reach for her sword, reacting out of instinct and fear. His strong hands restrained her, trying to calm her down.

 _"We're not going to hurt you. Not unless you try something stupid first -alright?"_

She knew that voice, like a long forgotten memory struggling to resurface.

 _"You wanna tell us your name?"_

She kept staring at him trying to remember, trying to recall a face to match that voice.

 _"You wanna tell us your name?"_

She just kept staring back.

And that was how it started.

She couldn't explain what it was, but there was something between them. A connection - a bond -something familiar that always kept them attached to each other. She could see it in his eyes, every time he looked at her. Looking, searching, and always trying to remember...

"Hey Michonne!"

Michonne turned to her left to see Olivia walk towards her. She was smiling brightly at her, until she saw the expression on her face.

Quickly adopting a more somber expression, Olivia approached her. She cleared her throat and pointed behind her at the armory, "uuumm... Megan and Corrie were about to go out to fix the water lines. Some of the bathrooms are not getting any water. They are in there now, taking a few guns. But they don't have a lot of experience, you know, being out there. Could you go with them?"

Michonne would have preferred going by herself.

She took a deep breath, before answering "Fine! Tell them to hurry up. I'll be outside."

...

Rick walked into the bathroom and washed away his tears at the sink. He looked into the mirror and then slowly washed the cut under his eyes. He opened the medicine cabinet and slipped on a band-aid.

He then looked around him and wondered, 'Did all of that just happen in the last hour'?

Today he woke up to find Michonne in his shower, and she wanted him. They confessed their feelings for each other and made love - everything he had thought of in the last few weeks. And now, he had managed to screw it up.

'God, why didn't I take care of that fucking night gown, earlier? And now she's gone!'

Rick got up in anger and walked towards the closet. He pulled it open and took Jessie's gown off the hanger.

'I should've done this yesterday'.

He looked out the window towards Jessie's house, and he saw Michonne walking towards the gates.

The voice in his head yelled at him 'What the hell are you standing around for? Return the damn dress and go after her dumb ass!.'

 _"let go of me Rick."_

 _"Michonne, please, I love you"_

 _"Then let go of me, now!"_

The voice argued back 'When the hell have you let go of anything? And you're going to start now? – with the woman you're in love with? FUCK YOU! GO AFTER HER, NOW! BEG HER FORGIVENESS; SAY YOU'RE SORRY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES. NOW GET YOUR ASS UP! RETURN THE DAMN DRESS TO JESSIE, AND THEN GO AFTER MICHONNE!'

...

They were almost 1 mile away from their camp, on the East side. There were far too many trees around them. Michonne looked back towards the watch tower. She could barely see it from where they were standing. Which meant Sasha couldn't see them.

Michonne cut down the seventh walker that had come across their way. She noticed it had a 'W' like symbol marked on its forehead (just like the others she had just dealt with on their way here). She didn't know what to make of it. People with matching symbols usually meant they were part of a group. What did the 'W' stand for?

"How much further do we have to go?" Michonne asked quietly.

"We're almost there." Corrie assured her. "There's a stream up ahead. Our water lines run right below us. They are connected with the stream, that's our source. Sometimes, dirt and slime get stuck in the pipes and blocks the water from getting through."

Megan turned around to look at Michonne, and then uncertainly "Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Now this may sound weird, but..."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them. Corrie, Megan and Michone turned around in unison, weapons drawn.

Rick walked into the clearing, gun in his holster and his machete on the left, "It's me."

"Oh, Rick! You almost scared us. We thought it was another walker.", Megan responded cheerfully.

"Yeah, Olivia told me you guys were out here. So, I thought I'd join you." He looked at Michonne and walked towards her.

Michonne turned away immediately, and started walking ahead.

Megan saw the band-aid under his eye, "What happened to your face." Rick shrugged at her, "It's nothing."

Megan looked at the two of them, shook her head with a smile.

Rick walked behind Michonne and whispered quietly for her to hear "I'm not letting you go."

She increased her pace to put more distance between them. But Rick was stubborn as she was "You can't just walk away from me. You got to give me a chance to explain. I mean, you really don't believe me when I say I love you?"

Michonne quickly turned around to look at Megan. "Weren't you about to tell me something?"

Rick clenched his jaw in anger and looked at Megan.

"Umm…well.. it can wait." She said uncertainly, looking at Rick.

"No, it's fine. Tell me." Michonne gestured at her to come closer.

As Megan and Michonne walked ahead, Rick followed them quietly, thinking 'Alright, you want to ignore me? Fine! Let's see how long you can keep it up.'

Corrie, who was at the front, pointed ahead "We're almost there now. I would say about 50 yards." The four of them continued forward.

Megan turned to her left to look at Michonne and then back at Rick, "Ever since you guys got here, I've had this feeling that I know you from somewhere. But I just couldn't remember. It kind of bothered me for a while. I'm the curious type, you know. I mean it was at least 20 years ago! In fact, I wasn't even supposed to be there that night.I was in college and there was this party. I mean you know how it is –you hear about a party from a friend, of a friend, of a friend and everyone just finds out..."

Michonne kept nodding along, not really paying attention to what Megan was saying.

"I met this guy over there, said it was his party - Jeff…something. He seemed like a nice guy. Personally, I wanted to get to know him a little more. But there was this blonde, and it looked like he was totally into her. Anyways, I ended up jealously watching them from a couch all night…..So anyways, what I wanted to ask was, were you at that party? 'cause I have this memory of you in a strapless black cocktail dress…."

Michonne stopped in her tracks, closely followed by Rick. Both of them were now looking at Megan, intently.

Megan was taken aback by their scrutinizing gaze. "Oh WOW! I'm sorry, if it was something personal."

Michonne quietly asked her, "Megan, how do you remember me?"

Megan looked at Michonne and smiled "So It was you. I was the girl on the couch! Remember? You came in all dressed up. God I may have forgotten your face, but I'll never forget that dress. It was just so beautiful. Anyways, you came up to me and asked about Jeff. And I pointed you in his direction and I think I said 'you missed your chance or something'. Megan giggled at her last comment, before continuing; "He was with that blonde – she had this weird name…."

"Lavanya" Rick said quietly.

Michonne turned to look at him, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time. She saw his brother's resemblance. She remembered the voice on the phone, from their first conversation. She recalled why Rick's voice sounded familiar the first time he spoke to her, at the prison

 _"Hey, hey..it's all right. Look at me. Look at me"_.

She was looking at him, now. She was looking at his face, his eyes, his nose, his lips – the face she was meant to see 18 years ago. The man she dressed up for, and drove 50 miles to meet, on a school night.

 _"A 'thank you' would be nice"_

 _"Sure, no problem! Just point me towards the Jeff I spoke with last night."_

 _"He's right over there" Jeff pointed towards another guy. He was standing at the corner of the room talking to a brunette. His back was turned towards them._

 _"That's my bother, he's name's-_

 _"I am leaving. Thank your brother for me._ "

It was him. It was Rick!

Rick's blue eyes reflected back at her with effervescent joy. His face split into a wide grin. The band aid under his eye scrunched together, as he smiled. His arms reached out from his sides and cupped her face. He swallowed hard barely able to restrain everything he was feeling at the moment. "Michelle!", was all he could say.

Michonne gripped his hands and squeezed them. "Jeff", she quietly whispered.

For a second the world had stopped spinning. There were no walkers. They weren't surrounded by death and danger. They weren't damaged by the people they lost or the people they killed. They were an 18 year old high school girl and a 23 year old cop, who had – finally– met for the first time.

Megan looked at them, with a comical expression. 'What the hell is going on?' she thought to herself.

"RICK! MICHONNE!", Corrie's voice called out from the distance.

And just like that, the moment was gone and they were brought back to reality. Rick and Michonne glanced ahead to look at Corrie. He was standing at the edge of stream, looking over the pipes.

They looked at each other one more time and then hurried towards Corrie. Megan followed them as fast she could.

"Look at the pipes. Some of them have been cut! Walkers didn't do this."

"That's right. They didn't" A voice said from behind.

Rick turned around and drew out his gun, ready to kill. Michonne drew out her sword, ready for battle. They edged closer together assessing the danger before them.

They were surrounded from the front, by at least 10 of them. Guns drawn out, aimed straight at the four of them, they all had one thing in common - the letter 'W' etched onto their foreheads.

* * *

 **A/N: The wolves are here!**


	6. Richonne, getting closer to you

_**Hello Everybody. Thank you again for continued support and interest for this fanfic. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be a continuation of the previous chapter. But I just felt there was some more story to explore before we got to Alexandria Vs The Wolves. ;-)**_

 _ **This chapter is another flashback (It will be the last flashback). It takes place 3 weeks, before the events of chapter 1. As we all know Michonne went to Rick's room, and they finally confessed their feelings for each other. But those two have very guarded personalities. Sure, we've seen them joke around and relax sometimes. But they mostly do not talk about how they feel. Why would Michonne go to Rick's room, why was he naked? why did he have a hangover? Why was Jessie's night gown in his closet? Why was Michonne mad at Rick when she discovered Jessie's nightgown? Why did Rick feel guilty? (I am sorry, I was trying to be dramatic - I think I over did it with the questions).**_

 _ **My point is there were certain things that happened between them before that fated day. Before they said their 'I love yous', before they had sex, before they had their fight and before they came across the wolves. This story starts from the ending scene of Season 5 - after Michonne takes the sword of the wall. It will be in 2 parts. The next chapter will conclude this flashback. This is**_ ** _Richonne, getting closer to you_** **!**

* * *

Michonne took the sword of the wall, and placed it in its sheath.

"I am sorry"

She turned around to see Rick, who had just walked in.

He had washed all the blood of his face, and had clean bandages over his wounds.

"For making you take that sword of the wall. I know you wanted this to work...wanted to feel safe here. But I don't think we can ever go back to being normal. Not as long as the world is the way it is."

Michonne walked towards Rick, "Do you know what I see, when I look at you?"

Rick looked at her, with a plain expression, unsure of how to respond.

"I see a man I can trust. Someone who'll always never stop believing in us – his family, even when we stop to question him, or doubt him, or even try and stop him."

She tilted her and smiled at him, "I believe in you, Rick. You don't have to say you're sorry."

Rick lowered his head and shuffled his feet. He looked back at her smiling face and wondered if she would feel the same way, If she knew going after Pete in the first place, wasn't just about protecting Jessie.

Michonne looked at Rick and thought, _'Is he feeling shy? He's not blushing, but he's damn near close. Hmmm...bad ass Rick Grimes is feeling shy. I can't believe how adorable he looks right now. Baby face, those blue eyes, he's just so cute….wait, what am I saying?'_

Rick interrupted her thoughts "I never said thank you…for telling me when I was wrong….for bringing us here….for hitting me over the head" Rick added with a smile. "Hell, if it weren't for you we wouldn't have known about the attic under the kitchen. When Carl heard Pete trying to break in here, he took Judith and hid in there."

"He's a smart, just like his old man." Michonne replied back.

"You're not so bad yourself. Finding that hidden door…"

"I was just helping Carol out in the kitchen, that part of the floor just sounded hollow…."

"..But you found it." Rick looked back at her with those blue eyes.

Not for the first time he found himself, wordlessly, staring at her. His eyes wandered over her face, studying each feature. The voice in his head asked the same question it did, every time he found himself looking at her - 'Why do I feel like I know you? I keep looking at your face trying to recognize you. And then I see your big brown eyes, your nose, your pouty lips…you're so beautiful. And then my eyes wander over your body…."

"Good night, Rick", Michonne said quietly.

Rick nodded at her, as she stepped to her right and walked past him.

Rick found himself reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He didn't want her to leave.

She felt his grip, it was firm but tender. She turned to her side to look back at him.

He slowly let get of her wrist, and placed his hands on his hips. "Deanna asked me to take over. She said she needs time. I'm not even sure if I want to. At first it was about keeping our people safe. But taking over means these people...they become our people as well. I don't even know half of them, and most of them think I'm some kind of homicidal maniac."

"You never stopped being the leader, Rick. Not to us, at least. Now it's gonna be a few more people. When I first came to the prison, I thought you were crazy. But it was okay for me, 'cause I was crazy too…Then you brought me back…. And I saw the kind of man you are. My point is these people….they'll see it too. I mean, the first time we met we couldn't even trust each other. Look at us now."

They looked at each other wondering the same thing, 'we're friends, right?'

 **1 Week later**

Rick Grimes was in the infirmary wing, getting his bandages removed. The cuts on his face had mostly healed. Christina Stevens was checking the bruising on his chest and abs.

Christina, a general surgeon, was brought in by Daryl and Aaron along with two of her colleagues, Thomas and Jeffrey. They were part of a team that was brought in to find a cure for the walker plague, at the CDC in Washington. For the last two years they had managed to stay hunkered down at the CDC working on finding a cure. One by one people died, until only three of them were left. When they finally ran out of hope they ventured out to into the world to finally succumb to the plague, incapable of killing themselves.

Christina finished her examination and looked back at Rick. His eyes burned back at her. They were weary and tired, but still sharp; definitely a lot of PTSD . She had seen the same with veteran soldiers, after years of war. But Rick, somehow, had managed to find a way to cope with it. She shuddered to think about the things he had seen and done.

"So how does it look?" Rick asked quietly.

"A lot better, it looks like most of the cuts have dried up. You may still have some faint scarring, totally normal, and the bruising has gone down. You said, you were shot in the back, before all of this? Well, there is no visible scarring or marks. Aside from that, some of the bones around your waist, your abs and your ribs feel like they were broken a while ago?"

Rick recalled his fight with the governor, "Yeah, about 5 or 6 months."

Christina nodded her head "Yes, the time frame seems consistent. The bones have set over time, but not properly. As you get older, these bumps and bruises are going to hurt. You are going to be sore in a lot….…" she saw the complacent expression on his face.

Christina stopped abruptly and turned back to her notes. Rick got up from the exam table and put his shirt back on.

"Thank you, Christina"

As he buttoned up his shirt, Christina quietly asked "Rick, do you have a minute?"

Rick raised his eyebrows at her. Christina seemed a bit nervous at first, but she quickly composed herself before asking.

"Rick, you said you were at the CDC in Atlanta. So you know how the disease works. I was hoping we could continue our work? When we left the CDC, we thought everyone was dead, let alone find a whole community of people with food and shelter. What you have here is truly remarkable."

"And I'm trying my best to keep it that way."Rick shot back.

"You are building a community here. Considering your position, you owe it to the world to restart civilization. Just imagine if we could cure this thing?"

Rick glared at her, "I owe it to the people HERE, to keep them ALIVE."

"I know, Rick and we're grateful. But when…"

" …You stayed locked down in a building, working on your little experiments for 2 years and what did you find out? Did you discover something? Did you ever come close to a cure? People turn into walkers, after they DIE! You can't bring back the DEAD! And your experiments are going to cost us – food, fuel, guns, PEOPLE - thiiinnnggsss… we don't have a lot of these days. So no, Christina, WE can't worry about your little experiments."

Christina wasn't used to this level of hostility. She could understand why Rick was the way he was. But that didn't stop her from feeling a little frightened.

Rick stared her down, before turning to leave.

"If you were at the CDC, you know that they have security protocols that are designed to blow up the place."

Rick turned around to look at her.

"I was smart enough to figure out how to override their systems and stay alive...What I am trying to say is... I know that you haven't been coming around here, for the last 2 days, just for medical check-ups. And I just want to say that I understand that you don't trust us, yet, but I wonder how long it's going to take?"

Rick silently stared back at her, before he responded, "If you're smart as you say you are, you know that I am not going to trust you and your people, until I do. But don't get me wrong, you're part of this community. We will keep you fed, we'll give you shelter and we will keep you safe. But you and your friends are here because we need your skills. So I suggest you focus on that. And, trust is a two way street. So let's not pretend like you're here because you trust us. You're here because you need us, for your SURVIVAL. You mentioned somethin' about restarting civilization – Well we already did. Except now it's called 'surviving of each other."

With that Rick left the room, closing door behind him. Christina stared at the door, sadly, realizing everything he said was true.

...

Michonne sat out outside listening to Rick. She could practically imagine the look on his face. She couldn't help feel a little sorry for her. She knew how hostile Rick could get.

She heard Rick close the door and turned around to see him.

"You heard that?"

Michonne saw that Rick was in bad mood. She wasn't the one to back down from him.

"Rick, she's been here for 4 days. It wouldn't hurt to go easy on her."

Rick opened his mouth with an angry retort, but stopped himself.

He took a deep breath and looked back at her. "Okay."

They walked out together, absorbed with their own thoughts.

"How come you were waiting outside? Did you want to see me about something?"

"No. I just heard your voice, and I…just sort of waited around." Michonne replied, thinking the same thing, 'why was I waiting outside for him?'

Rick saw a brown paper bag clutched in her left hand. "Are you sick or something?" Rick asked as casually as he could.

Michonne clutched the bag tightly, which contained tampons, thinking what to tell him.

"No….I just…."

"What is it?"Rick turned to look at her straight in the eye.

Michonne pointed at Rick's face "See. That's it right there -that's what I am talking about. You got to ease up a bit."

"Michonne, I am not -".

"Rick, sometimes…. it's the way you look at people. You kind of lean in and stare them down. Glenn described it best – EYE-FUCKING- you eye fuck the hell out of people. It' one thing to do it to some maniac who is trying to kill us, but you sort of get into it with just about anyone. And I don't appreciate you looking at me like THAT."

Rick's eye widened and his face broke into a smile. "Eye fucking? Really? I had no idea."

"Are you laughing at me? Michonne asked with her own steely side glance.

"No, I was just thinking about it. I guess I never knew. I'm sorry I eye-fucked you, Michonne."

"Oh shut up", Michonne replied back, irritated.

He kept taking peeks at her as they continued walking.

Rick quietly smiled to himself, and thought 'I have never seen this side of you. In fact I don't know anything about you, not even your last name. What did you do for a living? Did you have a family? Husband? Kids? Boyfriend?'

...

"Why do you keep staring at them? You've been doing it now for a couple of days." Corrie asked from behind her.

Megan replied without turning around "It's not them, it's Michonne. I just keep getting this feeling that I know her from somewhere. But I don't remember knowing anyone by that name."

Corrie scoffed at her, 'Oh come on. I have been making eyes at you for a few weeks now, and you've been thinking about how you remember some girl? Come on baby; keep your eyes on me. I mean just look at me."

Megan turned around and looked at him. She crossed her arms, "You're a good looking man, Corrie. In fact, you could make a girl go crazy just by flashing that sexy smile of yours."

Corrie gave her his sexiest smile ever "Okay, so what's the problem?"

Megan turned back around and gestured towards Rick and Michonne, "You've never looked at me the way he looks at her."

 **12 days later**

Rick looked at Jessie's house from a distance. It was close to 2 AM in the morning. All was quiet as most of Alexandria was asleep. An hour earlier he had been awakened by a crying Judith, who seemed unable to go back to sleep. Not wanting to wake up everyone in the house, he carried her in his arms and walked outside. As he strolled through the streets he tried to calm her down, by softly patting her back.

Soon he found himself standing in front of Jessie's house, with Judith in his arms. The broken windows were fixed. The porch stood quiet, absent of her husband. The sights of them were reminiscent of everything that happened between them. Ever since he had killed Pete, Jessie had avoided him as much as she could. He never went to her house. She had practically asked him not to, when he went to see her after his fight with Pete.

 _"You should leave. People shouldn't see us talking."_

As he held Judith in his arms he reflected upon his feelings for Jessie. 'Did I want her? Did I desire her?' And then he looked at Judith who curiously stared back at him.

The moment he had met Jessie, there was a sense of familiarity. He had gained back something he had lost. It was like he had gained back Laurie, the suburban housewife, a mother, a woman who reminded him of who he used to be. He recalled the party at Deanna's house – the way he felt when he saw Judith in her arms. A mother for Judith, in a God forsaken world – filled with death and misery- and a father who was a killer, constantly struggling with his sense of morality and his paranoia to keep his people alive. He kissed her cheek in gratitude of finally having someone for his children and his own sanity. He felt jealous when he saw her with Pete, not being able to have what he wanted. His primal instincts took over him and he reached for his gun.

Finally, his need to protect her, which stemmed from his guilt of not being able to protect Laurie. The lack of closure still haunted him, every time he thought of her. He pushed her away in anger and resentment of not supporting him when he needed her the most. He knew he made it seem like he hated her. But he hated himself when he saw the disgust on Laurie's face, when he said he had killed Shane.

 _"Would you this for anyone else?' Jessie had asked him._

 _'No' he replied, because he wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to protect her – to save her._

And he did. And just like that, it was over.

 _"Whatever happens, I am not sorry for what I did. I wanted you to know that."_

That's what he had said, before Jessie had asked him to leave.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Laurie is dead. But she's not gone, she's here.' He looked at Judith and kissed her on the top of her head.

'She died giving birth to you. And I am gonna do everything I can to protect you, to keep you safe.'

He wiped the tears from his eyes, as he finally found the closure he was looking for.

He heard footsteps from his right and he saw her from the distance.

"Rick?"Michonne's voice called out to him.

Rick smiled at her. She saw his tear strained face, "are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just trying to get Judith to sleep."

"Okay. I am sorry –

"Were you out on a walk?"

"Yeah. I was having trouble sleeping as well".

"You wanna walk with us?"

Michonne nodded back at him "Sure."

She gestured towards Jusdith "Why don't you give her to me? Let me try."

Rick leaned forward and handed Judith over to Michonne. He felt his skin brush against hers, in the cold night breeze. He felt light like the wind, and happy to be close to her.

They walked together in silence, Rick observed Michonne hold the baby close to her chest. Judith looked cozy in her arms, safe and quiet. Michonne rubbed her back softly and walked slowly next to him.

"You're really good at that. It usually takes me an hour to put her to sleep"

Michonne nodded quietly. She looked at Judith in her arms, and then at Rick walking besides her.

"I was thinking of her mother, my wife, she died giving birth to her. It happened a few days before you got to the prison. I went a little crazy after that. I always blamed myself for not being able to protect her. Her name was Laurie...we met at a party. I was actually supposed to meet someone else that night." He chuckled a little as he recalled the events from his past – _'Michelle, where are you? Are you still alive?_ ' He thought.

"Maggie told me about it - how she had to deliver the baby. Carl told me….what he did." Michonne voice spoke in response to his thoughts. Rick lowered his head and nodded.

"Do you miss her- Laurie?"

"Sometimes, but I have her now." Rick's hand reached out and patted Judith on her back.

Rick placed his hands inside his pockets and looked down as they kept walking. He looked to his side, at Michonne cradling Judith in her

"You know, I was in a coma before all of this began. I was shot in the line of duty. I had a partner –Shane-he was my best friend. He kept Carl and Laurie safe. They thought I was dead. Laurie and he began an affair. He fell in love with her, but then everything changed when I came back. He got jealous and then he went crazy. Finally, he tried to kill me…..so I killed him. There's a good chance, Judith's not my daughter. But I'll always be her father."

Michonne swallowed hard taking in everything he had said.

She knew it couldn't have been easy to admit something like that. She looked back at him.

"I had a child –a son. His name was Andre. Sometimes, I think of him. On most days I miss him."

Rick stopped in his tracks and looked at Michonne. Somehow, he had always known. She was a fierce warrior, tough as nails – maybe even tougher than him. Yet, he had often witnessed her softer side, especially, with Carl. Parental instincts never went away, no matter how tough you got. He knew he was a killer, but the thought of his children always kept him in check. He knew he could have easily turned into a 'governor'. He almost became 'Shane', but Michonne was there to stop him.

He stepped forward placed his hand on her shoulder and caressed it. "I'm sorry, 'bout you son. I wish I could have met him."

"His father -my boyfriend- was getting high. I was out on a run. My boy was being eaten, while his father was getting high." Michonne closed her eyes, and the tears she had held at bay for so long finally rolled down her face.

She opened her eyes and looked at Rick, standing before her looking concerned.

"When I see you, with your children, I wish you were Andre's father. You'd do anything to keep your children safe. My boy would be alive today, if you were his dad."

Rick let his arm fall from her shoulder.

She felt his palm against hers, and then his fingers around her hand. She felt him squeeze her fingers together.

She stared at his face, and looked into his eyes. She saw him move closer to her and felt his hand on her cheek, "I would have loved to have been Andre's dad."

Their faces were inches apart. Their minds were racing, thinking about each other – everything they had done and everything they had been through.

She saw his eyes move downwards towards her lips. She saw him lean forward, and then she felt her head move towards him.

At that moment Judith stirred in her sleep, and Rick and Michonne stopped to look at her. Rick looked back at Michonne and took a step back. She wiped her tears using the back of her hand.

"Let's go home." Michonne whispered.

"Where have you two – three been?" Carol stated opening the door.

"We just went for a walk" Rick replied. "Judith was having trouble falling asleep. Did we wake you?"

"No. I heard her crying earlier and then couldn't go back to sleep. So I thought I'd work on a new batch of cookies." Carol added with a smile.

"Well then, let's not keep you from them." Michonne said jokingly. "Good night Carol."

They stood in the hallway and looked at each other from across their rooms.

"Goodnight, Michonne."

"Good night Rick."

Michonne lay in her bed tossing and turning. She thought of her son and her past life. For the first time, in a long time, she craved to be comforted; she wanted someone to love and to hold her. She wanted Rick.

She had known it for a while now, but these last few weeks she had felt closer to him than ever before. For so long now, they have been running for their lives that they never stopped to think about what they are to each other.

She imagined Rick lying next to her. She imagined running her hands through his hair, lying against his chest and hear his heart beat. Feel his lips against hers while being held in his arms.

She got up from her bed and looked towards the door. She pulled her pants on, as she decided to go see Rick.

...

Rick had barely put Judith in her cradle when he heard a knock on his door.

He pulled it open.

"Hi…."

Rick stared in silence, before responding "Hi…."

It was Jessie.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter will be the continuation of this. Jessie and her nightgown are here ;-)**


	7. Richonne, I'm sorry for not kissing you

_**Previosuly on the walking...I am just kidding. I can't pull that off. So this is chapter 7, a continuation of the previous chapter. Michonne was about to walk out of her room and go see Rick. There was a knock on his door, and Rick opened the door to find Jessie. I know, a lot of people hate Jessie, but bear with me. This is "Richonne, sorry for not kissing** **you."**_

 _ **To everyone who send me PM's, thank you for your kind wishes. Thank you 'Literature Chick' and 'Queen Mojo' for your reviews**_

* * *

Michonne stood against her bedroom doom, with her hand on the door knob.

'What am I doing?... He was about to kiss me. I saw him lean forward. I can't be the only one feeling this way… But what am I doing? Do I go see him now? What do I do when he opens the door? Kiss him? Hug him? Ask him if he was going to kiss me? That's just so stupid…. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Yeah, he just probably put down Judith for the night. I will talk to him..…tomorrow'

Michonne walked back to her bed, ready to fall asleep. She lay down, on her side, and smiled into her pillow. 'I wonder if he is thinking about me.'

...

Jessie stood outside Rick's room, with a glazed look in her eye.

"Hi….."

"Hi…." Rick responded back, surprised.

When he first heard that knock, he was almost sure it was Michonne. He couldn't stop thinking about her. When she said, "Let's go home", he thought he had scared her, by trying to kiss her. He couldn't help feel a little disappointed. On their way back, all he could think of was 'maybe she didn't feel the same way.'

Jessie nervously pointed to her side, with her thumb "Carol let me in."

"Okay."

"Can I come in?". She almost sounded unsure of herself.

"uh…yeah" Rick stepped out of the way to let her in.

She closed the door behind her, as she entered. Rick noticed she had a bag hanging from her shoulder.

"I saw you outside my house."

Rick stared back at her with a guilty expression.

"You were standing outside, with Judith. I saw you. I don't sleep much, not since...

Rick's voice came out in a whisper, "What're you doing here, Jessie?"

Jessie bit down on her lips and stared back at Rick. She could feel the tears form around her eyes.

She quickly averted them and looked towards the bathroom door. Without another word she walked towards it, and closed the door behind her.

Rick stared at the door, uncertainly, and waited.

The yellow light above the sink, spread out unevenly, as Jessie opened the door. Rick stood in the darkness of his room staring into the light. Jessie was breathtaking in her white gown that barely covered her thighs. The thin straps softly held on to her smooth shoulders. The low neckline plunged down to her supple breasts. The fabric was almost translucent; it fit perfectly around her body.

Rick realized he was holding his breath, as he watched her walk towards him. He slowly exhaled as he tried to regain some control.

She stood before him, looking into his eyes. He caught her scent, which almost seemed intoxicating. He could feel the temptation boiling inside him. His heart was starting to beat faster. He could feel his penis, growing longer and harder.

Jessie raised her hands and placed it on his cheeks. Rick closed his eyes as he melted into her touch. She raised her head and kissed him softly on his lips.

His arms wrapped around her as he pushed her closer, into his chest. His mind went blank as he kissed her back. He felt her pull him towards her, as she walked back towards the bed.

Rick felt himself fall, as they hit the edge of the bed. He stopped himself from collapsing on top of her, by placing his hands on the mattress. He balanced himself with his hands on the bed, and his feet on the floor. She looked at him, as she lay underneath him; she felt his breath against her face. Raising herself she kissed him passionately, with her hands behind his head and her fingernails digging into his hair.

Their noses brushed against each other; his rugged face pricked her skin as he kissed her harder and deeper. She welcomed the pain; she could feel herself getting wet. Spreading apart her legs, her vaginal walls were ready to be stretched and widened by his penis. She couldn't take it anymore, she needed him in her. She grabbed his length, through his pants. He was hard as a rock. Using her feet, her elbows and shoulders, she pushed herself towards the pillows.

Rick kicked off his shoes and crawled over her. Her hands unbuckled his pants and pulled down his zipper. He looked down at her hands and then stared back at her intensely, readying himself.

 _"Rick, sometimes…. it's the way you look at people. You kind of lean in and stare them down. Glenn described it best – EYE-FUCKING- you eye fuck the hell out of people._

He quickly rolled over to the other side of the bed and lay back, with his right hand over his forehead. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as realized whose voice he had just heard, in his head.

Jessie lay quietly unsure of what had just happened. She turned to her left to look at Rick.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this why you killed him? Took my children's father away from them?"

Rick turned his head and looked back at her.

"I just wanted to keep you and your children safe." he whispered back hoarsely.

Jessie turned on her side and inched closer to him.

"You said _'you wouldn't do it for anyone else_ '. I asked you that day, remember?"

Rick turned back to look at the ceiling "Yes."

Her arm crept across his waist. She laid her head against his chest.

"After you killed him, I felt guilty about everything that had happened. I kept avoiding you because I knew there was something between us and I wasn't ready for it. Today, when I saw you outside my house I realized we were the same.

Rick gulped nervously.

Jessie inched closer towards him. "I feel like I'm alone in the world. My kids are back in the house, sleeping in their beds. They feel safer now. But sometimes we miss him – I miss him! He wasn't always bad, you know. Now, the hardest part is going to bed, and looking over to the other side and seeing an empty space. I haven't…. ever slept alone in a room. When I was kid, I shared a room with my sister. Then I had a roommate in college. Then an apartment with friends, and then I met Pete... I've been trying to get used to the feeling, but when I lie in my bed, I always end up staring at the other side."

Rick put his arm around her and patted her softly on her arm. "Let's just go to sleep then. You don't have to sleep alone tonight."

Jessie moved her hand down to his crotch. Rick caught it gently and pulled it back to his waist.

"We might wake up Judith. Let's just go to sleep."

Rick felt her body stiffen a little. "Okay."

After a while she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Encompassed in Rick's arm, Jessie snuggled closer to his warm body and slept peacefully. Rick, who was awake, lay in bed lying next to her. He couldn't fall asleep, he couldn't stop thinking of her. ' _Michonne…..why do I feel like I'm cheating on you._ '

 **The Next Day**

Michonne was in the kitchen making some eggs. Rick walked downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen.

"It smells good in here."

Michonne turned around and smiled at Rick. "Thanks, it's my very special Omelette."

"Wasn't talking about the eggs."

Michonne heard the flirtatious tone in his voice. She looked at him, nervously.

Rick didn't turn away or try to hide the desire in his eyes. He walked towards her and leaned forward. He tilted his head a little and brushed her neck with his nose. He breathed in her scent, "that's what I am talking about."

His hands moved behind and squeezed her ass cheeks together. He softly kissed and nibbled her neck, while his hands moved up and felt her slender her back. He pushed her closer, and brushed his face against hers. He could feel her skin, he could sense her happiness; he tasted her lips and her tongue...

Rick was rudely awakened from his dream, at the sound of a door being opened. The first light of day was barely creeping into his room. He looked around to see Jessie standing in the clothes she had arrived in, last night. She was hanging up her night gown in his closet.

"I am leaving. The kids will be up in a few hours. No one can know about this – about us! I need time… to talk to my kids. I need to explain to them…about us."

She walked towards him and bent down to kiss him. He felt her lips on his, but didn't reciprocate.

"I'll see you tonight, Rick."

...

Michonne watched from a distance as Rick talked to a group who was heading out for a run.

She had woken up feeling happy and anxious at the same time. She had gone about her routine as usual and headed down for breakfast. Carl, Daryl, Carol and Morgan were all up. After she ate, she waited around for about fifteen minutes for Rick. Finally, after exhausting all her reasons to stick around Michonne decided to go ahead with her chores for the day.

"Hey, Carol. I'm going to get started with my chores for the day. Would you mind telling Rick that I need to talk to him?"

Carol recalled Jessie's arrival last night. She had seen the look on her face and her overnight bag.

"He probably didn't get to sleep last night, after Judith woke him up. Yeah, I will tell him if I see him."

...

"You guys ready? " Rick asked

"Yeah. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."Glenn replied

They waited, next to the van, as the rest of the crew joined them.

"Alright everybody, this may probably be the last run you'll have to do for a while. As you all know we have started framing now. But it will take time, before we have food growing out of the ground. This run is to gather food and supplies until our crops are ready for harvest. So you are going to be covering a larger area, with more number of people. Aaron knows about a few places that you can hit. Glenn is going to be in-charge; he's got more experience with this kind of thing. SO, I advice everyone to follow his lead...and be safe."

Glenn nodded at Rick gratefully "Alright everyone let's head out."

Rick walked back from the main gate, towards the house. He saw Michonne, arms folded against her waist, waiting for him.

Michonne smiled at him brightly "Hi Rick, I didn't see you today morning."

Rick smiled weakly trying to not look guilty. When he woke up he felt uncertain about seeing Michonne. He had never been the type to cheat. But right now he had two women on his mind. One he felt obligated to be with. While the other, he truly wanted to be with. As he sat in his room, feeding and changing Judith, his thought of Michonne and what she truly meant to him.

"Yeah, I kind dozed off. Couldn't get much sleep last night."

Michonne looked around awkwardly, to see if they were alone. She was starting to feel nervous, as she wondered how she was going to start.

"So….Glenn and the others are…on their way?"She asked casually... _'This so lame. Come on, it's just Rick. Just talk to him'_ She thought.

"Yeah, I was just seeing them off." He jerked his head towards the gate... ' _I don't know if what happened last night was wrong. But I wish it was you instead of her._ ' He thought.

She shuffled her feet in the dirt and looked at him in the eye. ' _You're quite dreamy, you know_. _That mix of grey and black hair. Ruggedly handsome, blue eyes, that southern accent…OH! STOP IT. GET A GRIP. You're not 18 and meeting some stranger at a party._ '

He noticed the hesitancy and trepidation in her stance. _'Oh shit! She's feeling awkward. She's probably thinking about what I tried to do last night._ '

"Hey, Michonne, you okay?"

"Hmmmm…? Yeah I'm fine. You?"

"….If this is about last night?...

She held her breath waiting for him to finish.

 _'What're you thinking, Michonne? I can't get a read on you today._ ' He thought as he paused uncertainly to complete his sentence.

"…I just want to say….. I am sorry…."

Michonne's shoulders slouched a bit in disappointment.

Rick blinked at her, unsure if he had misread her signs. His mind was racing _'Wait! You were….are you disappointed?…did you like that I tried to kiss...did you want me to….?'_

"It's okay, Rick. We were talking about our past…we got a bit emotional. Uh...I got to go. I said I'd help Maggie with...something"

She quickly turned around to leave.

"Michonne?..."

"I got to go- Rick. I'll talk-see you….. la-ter." ' _Oh my God, I'm struggling to get a sentence out. What the hell is wrong with me?_ She thought as she quickly tried to walk away.

"MICHONNE!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him.

Rick stood a few feet away, with a determined look on his face. He felt his heart rate begin to rise. He heard each beat, as it pounded faster and faster in his chest.

He took a deep breath, and then. "I'm sorry for NOT kissing you, last night. I wish I had - I wanted to."

Michonne blinked back at Rick, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She felt her cheeks starting to get warm. She blushed and then her face slowly split into a smile.

He felt a tremendous weight lift from his chest. He knew he will never forget that look on her face.

His felt elated as he thought... _.'God! You're so beautiful. How could have I been so blind? You've been standing in front of me and I looked at someone else, because she reminded me of my past? I'm sorry Michonne, I am a dumb-ass! 'Cause only someone like that could not see you for who you are. You're strong, you're brave...you're fierce, and you're a warrior...at the same time...You're gorgeous, you're compassionate, you're kind, you're caring, you're sweet...my kids, they love you. And I...I think I'm getting there.'_

She walked towards him. "Well, maybe you should try again."

"Oh, I intend to" he replied taking a step forward

"RICCCKKK, we're ready".

It was Tobin with the usual group of men and woman. 2 weeks ago, Rick had implemented a new system of farming, where a representative of each family would participate. People were eager to join as they realized they could grow food for themselves, and wouldn't have to depend on any kind of rations or quotas.

Rick was teaching them everything he had learnt from Hershel. Today, he had almost forgotten about it.

Rick turned back to see Tobin wave at him from the distance. He raised his hand up to signal Tobin, he had heard him.

Exasperated, he looked back at Michonne and smiled at her apologetically.

"It's okay, Rick. You go ahead"

"Maybe….we can see each other…later?" Rick asked sincerely.

"Yeah…maybe…." Michonne replied, teasingly.

She saw his eyes move up all over her face taking in every detail. He seemed to be thinking about something. And then without warning, he slightly raised his chin and brought his lips to her forehead.

He then stepped back, and looked at her.

The moment their eyes met, they chuckled at each other.

"Was that a tease?"She asked him.

"No...That was me saying...you're beautiful" He said quietly. "I'll see you later."

With that Rick took a step back and slowly turned around. He walked towards the group of 'aspiring farmers'. There was a spring in his step and the widest grin on his face.

Michonne watched as he walked away and turned around, with her own grin. As she walked towards Maggie's house, she kept recalling what had just happened.

 _'Did Rick just flirt with me?'_

...

It was close to seven in the evening. Glenn and his group had come back from their run and had managed to acquire a good portion of food and other equipment, required by the community. They had managed to find a couple of shopping markets, and had raided it completely.

Glenn and Maggie had been keeping a secret. For a few days, now, they have had a feeling that Maggie was pregnant. Dr. Christina had confirmed their suspicion, but asked Glenn to find a pregnancy test kit just to be sure. Today, he had managed to get his hands on one, along with a few bottles of booze.

Maggie had tested positive and they had decided to host a party. Abraham, Rosita, Tara, Eugene and Sasha, were more than happy to help. Maggie and Glenn decided to keep the party small by limiting it to their _people_ , with the exception of Dr. Christina, Aaron, Eric and Morgan.

Rick stood in front of his bathroom sink, getting ready for Glenn and Maggie's impromptu party. He had taken a cold shower, cleaned himself up, combed his hair and had put on a clean blue shirt. It went well with his black pants and his old boots, he thought as he observed himself in the mirror.

It had been busy day for them. He had hardly seen Michonne for rest of the day. Feeling nervous he stared at his reflection and wondered out aloud "how the hell did I do this before?"

As soon as the thought occurred he almost laughed at himself. ' _I am acting like I'm going out on my first date. She's going to be there, and you're going to talk to her. Get to know her a bit. Share common interests. And maybe, hold her hand a little…kiss her gently on her cheek….then her lips….maybe..bring her back here...'_

Rick chuckled lightly and ran his hands over his face. _'I hope she likes me.'_

He felt the familiar brush of metal on his skin. He looked at the ring on his finger. Placing his right index finger and his thumb around it, he looked at it.

He no longer felt the pain, the grief or the guilt. He felt ready to move on, and begin his life again. He closed his eyes as he slowly slipped off the ring from his finger. Opening his eyes, he looked at his reflection; He felt ready.

His left hand felt naked, without the ring. He walked towards the cabinet next to his bed, and placed the ring in his drawer.

"I'll never forget you and I'll always love you" He whispered, as he closed the drawer.

He knew he had one more thing to do. He opened his closet and looked at Jessie's night gown.

 _'I should've done this earlier,'_ he thought as he grabbed the coat-hanger which carried her gown, ready to return it to Jessie.

"Dad, you ready?" Carl's voice rang out from outside his door.

Rick quickly put the dress back in his closet, and closed it. _'I'll return it tonight. As soon as I get back from Glenn's, I'll go straight to her house and talk to her."_

* * *

 _ **This was originally supposed to be a 5500-word chapter. Thought it'd be too much, so I decided to split the chapter in two. The next chapter will be the continuation of this. It will be up in two days. Thank you again, for reading. Take Care and have a nice day!**_


	8. Richonne, you make me want to

_**Well, here we are Chapter 8. We start off with Glenn and Maggie's party. A lot of light and funny moments. But mostly, Richonne being Richonne.**_

 _ **As always, thanks for reading.**_

* * *

'Where is he?' Michonne wondered for the 3'rd time, since she had reached Glenn's house. As she held her wine glass and looked around again, she saw him enter with Carl and Judith.

Rick quickly looked around and smiled at everyone, as they greeted him. It was like Glenn said – "Just our people! Maggie wants to keep it that way until she's ready to tell everyone in Alexandria that she's pregnant."

As Rick looked around him, he saw that everyone had dressed up for the occasion. Even Daryl, who looked uncomfortable in his black full-sleeved shirt and formal baige pants, had bathed and combed his hair for the occasion. Glenn looked quiet handsome in a jacket and jeans. He stood along with Maggie, who was wearing a white cocktail dress and the biggest smile on her face. She had never looked more beautiful.

As Rick glanced at everyone, he felt glad he was at least wearing a clean shirt.

He went over to Maggie and Glenn and hugged them both. "Congratulations! I'm really happy for the both of you."

Over the time they had been together, Rick had come to look at Glenn and Maggie as his little brother and sister. The first time Glenn had confessed to him about his fears and doubts at hearing Maggie say 'I love you', Rick looked across and saw 'Jeff', sitting in the passenger seat of the car he was driving. And Maggie and Beth had been the little sisters he had always wanted.

"Why don't you give Judith to me? I could use all the practice" Glenn said cheerfully as he took her in his arms.

Maggie leaned her head forward and whispered "Glenn's going to ask you something later tonight. I just want you to know that it's coming from both of us. Okay?"

Rick looked back at her, pleasantly curious, and nodded.

Maggie grinned back at him. "Good. Aaaand...Michonne's looks a bit lonely over there. Why don't you go give her some company?"

Rick kept his face expressionless, and blinked at her.

Maggie winked at him before turning back to Glenn, who was making funny expressions with his face at a laughing Judith.

Rick turned around and scanned the room for Michonne.

Their eyes met from either sides of the room, in the midst of their closest friends and loved ones. With her back against the wall, she was standing in the corner of the living room waiting for him to see her.

When he was younger, one of Rick's favorite books to read was the "The Godfather". He loved the carefully layered story, which emphasized the importance of family, loyalty and respect. He appreciated the characters for their resilience, and doing whatever it took to keep their families safe. And of course the copious amount of gore and violence.

But there was one part of the story that often loved to read; the protagonist Michael Corleone was hiding out from his enemies, in the small city of Sicily in, Italy. As he walked through an orange grove, he came across a girl called Apollonio. He was transfixed by her beauty; unable to move or breath, he stood silently as he heard his heart beat nervously in his chest. One of his two bodyguards jokingly called out to him "You've been hit by the thunderbolt, eh?"

Rick understood that the author was talking about romance, but didn't agree with the analogy, until now.

Like Michael Corleone, Rick Grimes at that moment had been hit by the thunderbolt.

Michonne was wearing a strapless, light green chiffon gown that seemed to be draped around her magnificent body. Showing a hint of cleavage, the dress was perfectly cut across her breasts, accentuating them. The fabric looked like it was flowing down from her bust to her feet.

For a few seconds, Rick's mind went blank as he stared at her unable to move or breathe. She smiled at his stunned expression, as her anxious eyes waited patiently for him

As soon as he realized he was staring, Rick shook his head and chuckled at himself. He grabbed a beer from the table and approached her.

Rick kept staring at everybody and everything as he stood next to her. He was suddenly conscious of the way he looked, in contrast to her ravishing presence. The voice in head was back - ' _say something dumb-ass!_ '

"Hey…." He said hoarsely.

' _Hey...? Are you fucking kidding me? Jesus, man! Just look at her. Look at her, Godammit!_ '

"Hey…" She replied back.

 _'Shit! Did I over do it with the dres? why do I keep doing this to myself? He can't even look at me now. How the hell did those girls convince me to wear this – because I wanted to, for him! '_

Rick finally stopped staring at her shoulder, and raised his eyes to her face "you look..." He stopped to clear his throat "You look incredible."

 _'...That's it Rick! Keep going.'_

Rick raised his left hand and rubbed his eyes and smiled nervously..."I'm sorry. It's just...I haven't seen you…like this."

He looked straight into her eyes "And now...I wish I had. You're absolutely gorgeous."

Michonne lowered her eyes for the briefest moment "Thanks, Rick. I'm glad you...Thank you." She paused to look at him "I thought I'd dress up – I wanted to look nice for you."

He reached out his hand, and brushed her fingers with his palm. Slowly, they intertwined their fingers together.

...

Maggie watched them from across the room. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness at seeing them together. She looked at Glenn who was talking to an annoyed looking Judith. She leaned across and kissed his cheek

"What was that for?" Glenn asked pleasantly surprised.

"I'm just happy." Maggie replied.

...

Michonne pulled on his hand "Come closer"

He moved to his side, until their shoulders met, and stood side by side against each other. They held their hands together behind them. She squeezed his fingers tightly "I'm glad you're here."

Rick took a swig of his beer and swallowed it as he watched the people around him

"I didn't see you all day."

"I was with Maggie. She needed my help with a few things. But I swear I was thinkin' of you the whole time."

Rick chortled, and spilled some beer.

"Where d 'ya get the dress?"

"Maggie. Well…Tara and Rosita gave it to me. But I was talking to Maggie earlier about...you..."

Rick raised his eyebrows at her.

"...And I think she found it...I don't know. Tara just said 'IT'S FOR YOU!' And I thought…well….I'd look nice in it

"Nice? Are you kidding? You kinda took my breath away."

Michonne blushed a little, and stopped to drink the rest of her wine. She ran her fingers through her hair as she stared back as Rick.

"Why do girls do that?"

"Do what?"

"Brush their hair – play with it, that sort of thing."

"Well, that's usually our way of saying 'I like you'."

"So you're saying you like me?"

"I said 'usually"

"Okay, I'm lost. Are you saying you like me or are you just playing with your hair?"

"Rick, I am saying I like you...

"Okay, good." Rick replied in relief.

...while playing with my hair" Michonne added mischievously.

Rick stared back at her, confused.

...

Rosita squealed at Abraham and Tara " Awwww...they look so adorable!

Tara joined in as well "I know, right? we kinda deserve some credit, you know."

She looked at Abraham "You have no idea how hard it was to convince Michonne to put on that dress, and a little make-up. Carol probably had an easier time convincing Daryl to take a shower."

Abraham smiled at the two of them. "Do ya really think she dressed up all pretty 'cause you two convinced her? Naaaa... She did it for him."

...

As Rick and Michonne ate their food together, a sudden thought occurred to him "I came by your room earlier, but you had already left. You should've knocked on my door before leaving. We could have come together."

It was Michonne's turn to raise her eyebrows at him "Really?"

"Yeah! My door's always open, for you."

She nodded at him "Okay, I'll remember that. And...It wasn't that I didn't wanna come with you. Tara and Rosita were there. We all sort of got ready together, and then I left with them."

She chuckled a little. "I think the last time I did that, I was in college. Probably...the only time."

Rick looked at her playfully "Really? What about your prom?"

Michonne grimaced at him "Oh I never went to my school prom."

Rick looked at her with a surprised expression. "Why not?"

"Uh...well, at first it was postponed from the original date, because of some stupid student-faculty disagreement. It was supposed to take place on my 18'th birthday. But it didn't, so I went out drinking with a friend, illegally! Oh you wouldn't believe the things that happened after."

Michonne paused as she recalled her conversation with "Jeff".

"Anyways, the prom was then shifted to another date - a few days before our final exams. During all of this I sort of...met this guy. And I use the term "met" very loosely. He...well…when I think about it now it's so stupid. But, he kind of broke my heart, and I just kept saying no to every guy who kept asking me to the prom. The truth is I just didn't feel like dressing up and going to any kind party after that."

Rick lowered his head and looked at her "Well he had to have been a complete moron!"

Michonne laughed at him. "Yeah, maybe, but that moron toughened me up."

"Once I started college, I started training in martial arts and kick boxing. Did a lot of yoga and meditation. I told myself - _I don't need a man to protect me!_ Basically, I never wanted to feel that vulnerable again."

Rick, slowly, let his arm slide around her back, and gripped her waist. He pulled her closer and whispered into her ear "How about now?"

She turned her head towards him and let her chin rest on his shoulder. Her eyes wandered over his face; she felt his warm fingers through the fabric of her dress.

"You make me want to."

...

"What's my dad doing?"

"He's talking to, Michonne" Daryl replied with a shrug.

"Why are they standing so close to each other?"

Daryl raised his head from his plate to look at the two of them "probably telling her a secret."

"Like what?"

"That he's got a nosy brat for a son."

Carl punched Daryl in the arm "I'm not a brat! And I'm not nosy, I'm curious."

"mmhhhmm" Daryl agreed sarcastically.

Carol stood next them listening to their spirited banter. She felt happy to see Rick and Michonne together. But she couldn't help think of Jessie.

'Rick, I hope you know what you're doing.' Carol thought, as she watched the two of them laugh together.

"Hey guys..."

Rick and Michonne quickly turned around in surprise to see Glenn. For a while, they had forgotten they were at Glenn's house surrounded by people.

"Hope I'm not interrupting." Glenn interrupted, with an embarrassed look on his face.

Michonne and Rick took a step back from each other, as they tried to keep a straight face.

"No, not at all." Michonne replied.

"Yeah, it's fine" Rick responded as casually as he could.

"Listen Rick, we are having a boys only...I mean MEN ONLY party out back - just you, me, Daryl and Abraham. They're already waiting for us. I kinda wanted to talk to guys about something. Do you mind if we..."

Rick looked at Michonne and then back at Glenn "..uh...well..."

Michonne looked at Rick trying to decide.

 _It's okay, Rick. Go ahead._

She looked at Glenn's eager face.

 _'Oh it's probably about the wedding'_

"He'll be happy to join you." Michonne said quickly

Rick leaned in and whispered into her ear "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay"

Rick walked towards Carl and asked him to go home. He kissed Judith goodnight and asked Carol if she could watch her for the night. "Sure, Rick. I'll happy to." Carl, Judith and Carol headed out.

He then walked into the kitchen with Glenn.

Michonne watched him as he walked away, feeling a little disappointed.

She walked towards Maggie trying her best to keep a straight face.

Maggie grinned at her "So...did you have a good time?"

Tara and Rosita eagerly hurried towards them.

...

As Rick was about to walk out the kitchen door, he paused to look back at her.

"Give me a second" he said to Glenn.

Glenn nodded and stepped out.

...

"Guys Rick and I were just talking – we were getting to know each other. There's no need to make a big deal out -"

She heard footsteps behind her. Michonne turned around to see Rick walk towards her.

As he reached her, he placed both hands around her cheeks and puller her towards him. He brought his face towards her, and kissed her lips for the first time.

Her hands went around his back and held onto him as tight she could. She kept her head raised as she kissed him back; she pushed her body into him and felt his heart beating in his chest.

Their lips broke apart, breathless, as a thread of saliva hung between her lips and his. They lovingly stared at each other, unable to look away.

Rick whispered for Michonne to hear "'I'm saying I like you, and I WANT YOU TO KISS ME! That's what you were saying earlier."

She traced her fingers around his lips. "Yeah."

Rick leaned towards her again; he brushed his nose against neck. He breathed in her scent and then kissed her again. "You know, I woke up today morning dreaming about this moment. I just didn't think it would happen."

Rick raised his head and smiled at Maggie, Tara and Rosita, who were beaming at him and Michonne.

"Good night, ladies. Maggie, I had great time and once again congratulations."

He paused to look at Michonne and then back at them. "Thank you, for...thank you."

With that Rick walked back into the kitchen and headed out the door, into the back yard.

Michonne turned around with a glazed look in her eye.

"Like he said, thank you…..for everything."

...

Michonne lay in bed trying to fall asleep. Her mind kept replaying the events of that evening. She wondered if she should have waited around. But Maggie had told her why Glenn had planned an after-party, and why it was so important to him.

 _'Tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up, have a nice shower. Put on some nice clothes, and then wake him up. We'll have an early morning breakfast and then spend rest of the day together...maybe get into bed together...a little pillow talk…And then maybe...Michonne smiled into her pillow as she imagined Rick, naked, making love to her._

She grabbed the pillow that lay on the other side of the bed, and pulled it towards her in a hug. She smiled into the pillow as she thought of Rick, eventually drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

...

"You kissed her didn't you?"Glenn asked Rick, as soon as he stepped out into the lawn.

"Yeah." Rick said with a smug look on his face.

"Hmmm…I thought so. The lipstick was a dead give away."

Rick quickly used the back of his hand to wipe away the lipstick around his lips.

"So you and Michonne...Richonne!" Glenn said teasingly.

Rick nodded his head in good humor. "Alright, alright, I thought you had something important to say.

"Uh, Yeah."

He turned around to look at Abraham and Daryl, who was sipping on their drinks waiting for them.

He turned around and looked at Rick "Maggie and I were talking about the baby. And excited as we are, we are also sacred. Not about having a child, but bringing a child into this world. Rick, if anything were to happen to me and Maggie, we want you to look after our kid."

Rick lowered his head and let out a sigh. He walked towards Glenn, and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I'd be happy to. But we're safer and happier than any of us have ever been, in a long time. I don't want you and Maggie thinking about something like that."

"Rick you taught us to always plan ahead. Me and Maggie, we're just doing that. None of us know what's going to happen tomorrow."

Rick nodded in agreement, reluctantly.

"Thanks, Rick. Now, let's talk about the wedding!"

Rick looked back at Glenn surprised.

"What? Maggie and I never had one. I took a ring of a dead walker's finger and gave it to her. Now that we are here and with the baby on the way, we thought we would have a proper ceremony."

"Glenn, that's great. You're right, you and Maggie deserve a wedding ceremony with cake and music and dancing…"

"And a best man….?" Glenn added

Rick paused to look at Glenn.

"I was thinking I'd have three." Glenn pointed towards Rick "The man who kept us alive."

He pointed at Daryl "The man who protected us"

He then pointed at Abraham "The man who helped me find Maggie, when I thought I lost her forever."

"What about Tara?" Rick asked Glenn.

"She's gonna be a bridesmaid. Maggie asked the girls first, before I even had a chance to think about it." Glenn replied defensively.

"Anyways, that's why you, Daryl and Abraham are here! This is sort of my bachelor party, minus the girls plus the booze."

"Sure, Glenn whatever you want" Rick nodded trying to keep a straight face.

"So, we are gonna have drink-all-night-marathon! No man leaves here, until he's so drunk he can't tell the difference between his dick and his hand."

Rick blinked at Glenn "What?"

Glenn shrugged, looking a bit coy "I was trying to talk like Abraham. You know the big tough guy talk."

"Glenn, I think the big tough guy and the other tough guy is getting impatient. So, I think we should get started."

Glenn turned around and looked at Daryl and Abraham. "You're right. I better tell them what this is all about. Alright, let's begin."

...

 **3 Hours Later**

Rick Grimes was trying his hardest to walk straight without falling down. Navigating through Glenn's house hadn't been easy. Glenn had passed out and had to be carried to his room by Abraham. After dropping off Glenn, he had made it back to his room with the help of a very pissed of Rosita. Daryl had opted to sleep on the hammock out in the back yard, as he felt he that the ground was shaking around him.

As Rick walked out into the street, he felt like he was walking thourgh water. He tried widening his eye lids to see where his house was. Everything just looked the same.

"Rick ..?"

He turned around to see where the voice had come from.

Jessie was walking towards him, pulling on her sweater "I had come by earlier. But no one was home."

Rick blinked at her unable to understand what she was talking about.

"I couldn't sleep! And then I saw you from the window. You were standing on the porch, leaning against the wall. Wait – are you drunk?"

"Heeeyyyyy" Rick called out, trying to stand straight. "waaass..Glenn's bachelor party. No...girls! Only...MEN and alcoholic boooozzzz."

Jessie laughed at Rick, as he tried to form words. She thought he looked adorable.

He wasn't like Pete. He was drunk, but he was still trying to talk to her – trying to explain himself. He was being sincere, even in his semi-conscious state. She walked towards him and put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Rick. Let's go to bed"

"O...k..." Rick said slowly.

...

Jessie looked at Rick, as they stood in his room. She pushed him onto the bed and turned on the lights.

Rick eyes were half-open, staring right at her. Jessie stared back at him and then very slowly stripped off her clothes. She then approached him naked, as he sat on the bed watching her.

He felt a familiar stirring in his pants. He stood up as she reached him, balancing himself against the wall. She proceeded to take his shirt off, and then unbuckled his pants. Rick kicked his shoes off and then used his feet to get out of his pants. Jessie squatted down and pulled his briefs off. She took a good look at his erect man hood and stood up to kiss him.

Rick stood naked in front of her, waiting for her. As he watched her face get closer to him – he saw blue eyes instead of the brown ones he was expecting. He saw blond hair instead of the black braids he was expecting. Her scent was different; her skin was different. He suddenly realized the woman who helped him to his room was not _-_

"No..."

Jessie felt Rick's arms on her shoulders, pushing her back.

She stood shocked and confused at Rick's hesitancy. "Don't you want me?" She asked.

"No..." Rick shook his head.

"Why not?" Jessie asked in anger.

"I don't love you….and you don't.. love me."

"But we can...all we have to do is try..." She moved towards him again."

"No...I can't." Rick said again

"Look at me, Rick. Aren't I pretty?"

Rick nodded slowly "Yeah"

"Look at my body. Aren't I desirable?"

"Uh-huh…."

"Then why can't you?"

Rick looked back at her and widened his eyes lids, to take a good look at her. It felt like is head was spinning. He willed himself to stay conscious.

"You're...not her. You're not...Michonne!"

With that Rick Grimes fell back on to his bed, and crawled underneath the sheets.

Jessie put her clothes back on, and walked out in tears.

Her nightgown lay on the coat hanger in Rick's closet, forgotten.

Rick fell asleep almost instantly. Not knowing tomorrow, everything was going to change forever.

* * *

 **So that's how it went down! I'm sorry it took a while to get to this point. So now that we have completed that arc, we have come to the end of the first half of this story. In the next chapter, we go back to the wolves.**


	9. Richonne, scared for each other

_**Hey guys. Hope you're doing well. This Chapter 10, takes place after Chapter 5. Here's a quick re-cap**_

 _ **"Rick turned around and drew out his gun, ready to kill. Michonne drew out her sword, ready for battle. They edged closer together assessing their options.**_

 _ **They were surrounded from the front, by at least 10 of them. Guns drawn out, aimed straight at the four of them, they all had one thing in common - the letter 'W' etched onto their foreheads."**_

 _ **Things may get a little violent and brutal from here on out. So...rated M.**_

 ** _A big thank you for all the personal messages I received. And of course for the reviews from Queen Mojo, Literature Chick, SSSAAAMMM23, simple 1234, Michonne Galaxy, Nay 766, guests, and SeverelyBabyKryptonite (thank you)._**

* * *

Sasha peered through the scope of her sniper rifle, as she took aim at a walker. There were too many of them. It was like they were organized, groups of five and six kept popping up. Sometimes from the front and sometimes from the side, they all had a 'w' on their foreheads. Sasha's instincts told her something was wrong. She peered through scope, and looked around the surrounding area. There were far too many shrubs and trees to get a clear view.

From the left side, behind the watchtower, three living people rushed towards the wall and scaled it as Sasha remained distracted with the walkers that were approaching the watchtower. Fifteen pairs of eyes remained watching her through the trees and flora that surrounded the area. One of them, Sven, took out his walkie "Sir, seven of our people have made it in, so far. The rest of us are out here. We are in position and ready."

"Good. It won't be long now. The group that we are following, they're headed towards the stream. Our plan worked, smaller group of people – with guns. Our men, who made it inside, they will be in position right?"

"Yes sir. We're going to be ready for you, when you get here. "

"All right, keep things quite as long as you can. They have the number, but we got the element of surprise. I want to keep it that way until we have their weapons."

"Of course, what about the people you are following?"

"Almost there….. I'll radio back when it is done."

Sven turned around and signaled the group of women behind them. They held long iron rods attached to neck braces, tightly wound around the necks of the walkers they held as pets. They pushed them forward until they were out in the clearing.

Two of the 'wolves' sneaked ahead in plain sight of the walkers, to bait them into moving forward. The neck braces were opened and the walkers staggered ahead, following the 'bait', in the direction of the watch tower.

Sasha kept firing at the walkers, taking them down. Amidst it all she never heard the footsteps behind her. Then at the last minute, she heard them. Before she could turn around, a hand clasped over her mouth and then she felt the sharp edge of knife penetrate her neck.

Her artery burst, and the blood flowed out from her neck. She gasped for air, and tried to scream in pain. Terror and panic seized her mind as she struggled to stay alive. She dropped her rifle, and she instinctively raised her hands towards her neck. The fighter in her was not willing to give up. She pushed her head backwards hard, and head butted her assailant behind her. She felt the grip loosen around her neck. She hit her assailant again, as hard as she could.

And then the knife was roughly pushed to the right, slitting her neck - tearing through her flesh, arteries and her esophagus. The blood kept flowing down her neck as her whole body shuddered desperately, trying to stay alive. And then everything went black.

The knife was pulled out of her neck. Sasha's lifeless body was pushed against the edge, and then using the same knife a 'w' was carved into her forehead. The body was then thrown over the watchtower and it hit the ground below. The hand holding the knife belonged to a woman's, she had a 'w' on her head "Tough little bitch ain't she?" she said to her companion - Tred - who was standing behind her.

The woman – Maxinne - wiped the blood of her nose where Sasha had hit her and then grabbed her walkie, "Sniper's down. We are in position."

Sven nodded his approval "Good, keep an eye on us."

Maxinne grabbed the rifle off the floor and turned around to look at her six foot-four, two-fifty pound companion. "You watch my back, while I keep a look out on our people."

Sven radioed his people, inside of Alexandria." We're coming in. Scour the area – you see any threats, take 'em out."

Daryl had just woken up as the rays of sunlight hit his face. He shut his eyes tighter, stubbornly, trying to go back to sleep. As he lay in the hammock, in Glenn's backyard, he could feel the hangover slowly set in. His brain was starting to wake up, along with the rest of his senses. He could see the light creeping in through his tightly shut eyelids. He felt the wind against his face and body. He could smell the grass and the flowers around him. His tongue was starting to feel dry – it needed water. He could hear the birds chirping, dogs barking, and then footsteps approaching him.

There were two of them, and they were trying to be quiet. They were trying to sneak up on him. Daryl had been hunting since he was seven years old. He knew the feeling - a hunter moving in on his prey. He could sense their nervousness, he could hear their heart beats, and he could envision the sweat running down their faces.

Two of the 'wolves' moved in closer until they were standing right behind the sleeping man on the hammock. They saw him move; he turned around faster than their brains could process their next actions. His legs kicked out hard and the bottom of his boots met their faces. One of them was temporarily blinded as the edge of the heel connected with his right eye. He squealed in pain, as he clasped a hand over his eye. The other got a heel to his nose, and he retracted backwards trying not to fall down.

They were holding guns in their hands. Darl jumped down and tackled the man, who had his hand to his nose. His gun fell to the side, as Daryl pounded on his face. He was kneeling over him, legs on both side as he kept punching him. Daryl then grabbed the gun and turned around to look at the other man. He was bleeding from his eye, but he was walking towards him. Daryl raised the gun and pulled the trigger. The gun was empty. Daryl quickly hurled it at the oncoming assailant, who ducked it.

Daryl felt the sharp stab of knife to his gut. He looked down at the man with bloody face, who had stabbed him. He twisted his knife and pushed it harder into Daryl, who caught his hand with his left. In pure anger, Daryl grabbed the man around his neck and choked him.

The other man ran towards the struggling men and kicked Daryl in the face, like it was a football, and fell down as he lost his balance. Daryl was pushed backwards, by the force of the kick, and he felt his nose shatter. The knife was still sticking out of his torso; his black shirt was starting to form a dark stain around his waist. The stain was starting to get bigger as Daryl struggled against the pain.

He forced himself to get up. He winced in pain as his body protested his attempts at getting up. Daryl watched the other two rise up slowly, stumbling against each other. Mentally, pushing himself Daryl stood up on his feet. Pushing the limits of his body, Daryl placed both hands on the knife and pulled it out of his torso. The blood gushed out of his open wound, but the adrenaline kept him standing. He used his left hand to cover his wound and used his right to stick the knife out at his opponents. Daryl was prepared for battle, ready for round two.

Suddenly, Daryl felt something forcefully hit him and pierce his back. It was a machete hurled at him, from behind. He heard people behind him, as they ran towards him. Two of them grabbed his arms, from behind. Daryl struggled against them trying to ignore the pain.

The man, who was bleeding from his eye ran forwards and stabbed Daryl, this time in the chest. His knees buckled, Daryl felt the knife in his hand fall from his grip. The wolves held him up and stabbed him again from the back and the front; they tore though his flesh, they pierced his organs, and they stood drenched in his blood.

He couldn't take it anymore. He felt overwhelmed by the pain, he struggled to breathe. Tears rolled down his face and Daryl finally fell down on his knees in front if his enemies.

The man, who had been punched by Daryl, stepped forward "he's mine" he said.

Daryl stared into his bloody face and puffy eyes. He stabbed Daryl in the neck, and just like with Sasha, the knife was forcefully pushed to the side slitting his neck - tearing through his flesh, arteries and his esophagus. His body shuddered desperately. And then everything went black. The knife was pulled out and then a 'W' was carved into Daryl's forehead.

"Not so tough now, huh?" He spit into Daryl's face and kicked him. Daryl fell down on his back, finally defeated.

The rest of wolves scaled the wall of Alexandria and stepped inside. It was still early, and people were still in their house getting ready for the day.

Olivia walked out of the armory, and was the first to be taken hostage. The wolves grabbed all the guns they could carry.

Sven turned to a terrified look Olivia, "Don't worry, dear. We're not going to kill all of you."

He picked up his walkie "Rolland, what's the status."

Rolland was tending to the wound on his eye "Sir, we have taken three hostages and killed two. One of them put a real fight, he hurt me and Abin. It took four of us to put him down. Then we came across another guy… pulled out his gun, but our men got him from behind."

Sven responded "Okay. We're inside now...got all the guns from their armory. We have one hostage. Come over to the main gate, you will see a small building to the right."

"We'll be there in two minutes. Out!" Rolland responded.

Sven turned to his men and women in his group. "Re-group with the rest of our pack. They have checked and cleared the perimeter. We're ready to begin."

"Go into every house; pull them out into the middle of the street. We have their weapons now. So if anyone puts up a fight kill them. As long as these people co-operate, we won't have to kill all of them."

One of the wolves spoke up, "Why can't we just kill all of them?"

Sven looked at him in anger "cause Wilson said so. We bring them out into the street and hold 'em hostage. Then we wait for Wilson and the rest of our pack."

...

With her sword raised, Michonne stood next to the man she loved, ready to fight. She felt the rush of adrenaline and fear creep inside of her. Yet, she stood bare faced without a hint of emotion. She took a peak at Rick, who stood next to her with his gun raised. She could sense the rage, boiling deep within him as he stared ahead at their predicament. Megan, who was standing in front of Rick, pulled out her gun as she backed away behind him and joined Corrie.

Rick and Michonne stood side by side assessing the situation. The people with the 'W' on their heads stood about 50 feet apart, guns pointed at them, spread out evenly. They had cleverly positioned themselves behind the trees giving them a clear view of Rick, Michonne, Megan and Corrie. A fire-fight would most likely result in their deaths, before they could even make a dent on the opposition. They noticed that a few of them were holding walkers with neck braces, attached to iron rods.

Michonne and Rick were cursing themselves for being so careless. They had been so involved with each other that they almost forgot what it was like to be out here. They had finally found happiness in a world devoid of any. They had managed to get over their own fears and doubts, and managed to overcome the depression that lay deep within them. They had finally found a way to cope with all the things they had done and seen, and were ready to start their lives again.

A man with blond, shoulder length, hair stepped forward. Rick could see that he didn't have a weapon on him, except for his knife by his side. But he could see it in his eyes - 'a man who had weathered a lot of storms'. He had a pleasant clean shaven face, with a scar over his right eye. He was as tall as Rick, but a lot more heavy-set. His burly frame stepped around the tree and took a few steps forward.

"Do you want to die?" he asked them as casually as he could.

Rick clenched his teeth as he looked ahead. He glanced at Michonne on his side, and then very quickly stepped in front of her.

Michonne took a deep breath, as she felt irritated and flattered by the gesture. _'Rick, I love you and I appreciate what you're doing. But get the fuck out of my way! If we're going down, we're going down together.'_

But she knew better than to show her resentment in front of their enemies. This was a time to stand together. She took a brief glance behind her at a frightened looking Megan and Corrie. Their guns were shaking in their hands as they kept it pointed ahead. She nodded at them to reassure them and then turned back to look at Rick.

His head was tilted to the right, and was leaning in as he kept his gun pointed at the long haired man.

"No." Rick finally said.

The long haired man nodded "Then drop you weapons and get down on your knees."

Rick tightened his grip on the gun "You first!"

A smile broke out on the man's face. It was more out of anger than amusement.

"I thought you said you didn't wanna die?"

"Yeah, and giving up our weapons doesn't seem like the right way to go about it."

The blond haired man looked at Michonne "What about you honey? You look deadly with that sword. Why don't you drop it?...set an example for your stubborn BOYFRIEND over here – Rick was it?"

"Why don't you come closer and try? I'll show you're people what your insides look like." Michonne said back menacingly.

He placed both his hands over his chest, mockingly "Awww that's sweet. The bad ass samurai and the bad ass cowboy – you guys make the cutest couple.I saw your little moment back there. You know, I was about to corner you guys and then I saw the two of you and it was just so damn adorable. I just had to stop and watch. I've always been a fan of love stories."

He paused to put his hands over his lip, as he took a moment to ponder. "So based on what that other girl was saying - you two were at a party about twenty years ago, but couldn't meet. And then many years later, after the world ended, you finally found each other. GOD DAMN! That's some deep shit."

"And then we come in...talk about bad timing. I guess this what they call fate, huh? Or at least some twisted fucked up version of it."

Rick clenched his teeth harder.

"I think you know what I'm getting at Rick – you ain't gonna do shit, as long as your girlfriend's in the line of fire. Plus, look at the other two – they look like they're about shit in their pants. I mean with you and uh...Michonne ( man that's sounds delicious)...I can see that you two have seen some shit…..have done some shit. You aren't scared off dying...you're scared for each other. So put down your guns and we won't kill you."

Rick lowered his gun to his side. "What do you want? Who are you?"

The blond haired man briefly turned to look at his people - "You see that boys and girls? That is respect. He understands that he can't fight his was out of this (not without getting his people killed). So he lowers his weapon and tries to negotiate."

He turned back to Rick "Am I right?"

Rick stared back at him, not bothering to respond.

The blond haired man slightly bowed his head, mockingly.

"We are a pack of wolves. My name is Wilson – Alpha male and all that. We rob from the rich and give to the poor. The rich being you – with resources, people, a walled community etcetera...etcetera... WE! are the poor – roaming around the country side, going from one place to the other, in search of the 'rich' trying to survive.

"A few weeks ago two of my guys, found a photo album. It was your community, your people, houses….Jesus….we thought it was a joke at first. But then we saw a sign for Richmond in one of the pictures. Some of my people recognized the place.

We set out to find it but we kind of lost our way. But as luck would have it, we came across a group of your people yesterday – scavenging for supplies, following a young Asian kid. So, we followed them; found your little community. We decided to explore the area at night, and discovered one of your water supplies, cut the pipes...and here we are."

Rick tried to keep his face as casual as possible. He noticed the man behind Wilson – it looked like he was assigned to keep an eye on them while Wilson talked. He had his gun pointed straight ahead. Rick didn't know if he was pointing at him or Michonne. Either way he had to go. The rest of others were spread out evenly, and were positioned far apart. If Rick's hunch was right, the only immediate danger was the man behind Wilson.

Rick turned around to look at Michonne, and whispered "Get ready to run."

Michonne stared at Rick, doubtfully, but whispered back "Okay". She signaled the same to Corrie and Megan behind her.

Rick turned back to Wilson "If you want to place to stay, all you had to do was ask. Maybe we could have worked something out. There was no need for all of this. If you decide to fight us, you'll lose. We got over sixty people back in our community. Killing us won't change that."

Wilson laughed at Rick "You don't get it son, we're the back-up team. My people are already in there taking your people hostage. And If I remember all the pictures from the photo album, there was one of you in it – along with a boy. I'm guessing that was your son. You don't wanna put him in danger now, do ya? And as far the number sixty goes...how many of them are like you and Michonne? 10? 12? I'm guessing most of them are like the pussies hiding behind your back. So you see Rick, I don't HAVE TO or WANT TO live in your community following YOUR rules. I told you, I'm an ALPHA MALE. I;m here to take over. Don't get me wrong, I understand what you're saying. Even before the fall of civilization, communities had gatekeepers that kept them in check. It used to be government officials and politicians. Now...it's people like you and me. So once I take you out, your people are going to fall in line. They are going to follow me; live in the community that I build...following MY rules.

Rick look back at Wilson, with deep contempt. "You're so full of shit."

And before anyone could move, breathe or think, Rick raised his gun and fired at the wolves. 

* * *

**This chapter was not easy for me to write. I know I didn't really work on Daryl and Sasha's characters, but when I reflect back on how they died it just feels so sad. Thank you for reading.**


	10. Richonne, he was her someone

_**Hello everyone, thank you for your personal messages. I understand your concerns and I feel the same way.**_

 _ **Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter - Thelisa17, literaturechick, Queen Mojo, Severleybabykryptonite, Cam and guestz. I'm very sad that we lost Daryl and Sasha. I could imagine their pain and fear and I felt really terrible about it. But Wilson wants to take over and Rick and co. are not just going to lie down and let that happen. Unfortunately, the Wolves have the advantage as most of Alexandria is still unaware that they are being attacked. Here's the next chapter, it's a small one. With a retelling a few things that happened in the last chapter along with some new content.**_

* * *

Wilson paused to put his hands over his lip, as he took a moment to ponder. "So as I understand it both of you were at a party about twenty years ago, but couldn't meet. And then many years later, after the world ended, you finally found each other. GOD DAMN! That's some deep shit."

"And then we come in…talk about bad timing. I guess this what they call fate, huh? Or at least some twisted fucked up version of it."

Rick clenched his teeth harder.

"I think you know what I'm getting at Rick – you ain't gonna do shit, as long as your girlfriend's in the line of fire…..

Rick was thinking hard _'Something isn't right here. They have all these guns pointed at us. There are at least ten of them. Why haven't they attacked? Why are they keeping their distance – hiding behind trees? If there are trying to intimidate us, shooting one of us and then closing in with their guns on us – that's the way I'd played it.'_

Rick lowered his gun to his side. "What do you want? Who are you?"

The blond haired man briefly turned to look at his people - "You see that boys and girls? That is respect. He understands that he can't fight his way out of…..

 _'He's a fucking show-off! Keep talking you egoistic prick.'_

"We are a pack of wolves. My name is Wilson – Alpha male and all that. We rob from the rich and give to the poor…

 _"So you just want to rob us and not kill us?_ " Rick thought, skeptically.

"A few weeks ago two of my guys, found a photo album. It was your community, your people, houses….Jesus….we thought it was a joke at first….We set out to find it…. we came across a group of your people yesterday ….found your little community… We decided to explore the area at night, and discovered one of your water supplies, cut the pipes...and here we are."

' _So why the fuck haven't you attacked? Why wait? Why set this trap? Why the hell would you stop to talk to us…..son of a bitch….you don't have any bullets in your guns. You're trying to talk us into submission. The balls on this bastard! You want us to think we don't have a chance, and have us hand over our weapons to you. Fuck you, Wilson. I can see through your bullshit. I see the man behind you. If anyone's got any ammo in his gun, it'll be that guy who's watchin' your back. Is he pointing at me or Michonne? Can't tell. Either he's got to go. The rest of them….they're probably for show. I got to tell Michonne.'_

Rick turned around to look at Michonne, and whispered "Get ready to run."

Michonne stared at Rick, doubtfully, but whispered back "Okay".

Rick turned back to Wilson _'I'm going to give you one more chance Wilson. Don't fuck it up.'_

"If you want to place to stay, all you had to do was ask. Maybe we could have worked something out. There was no need for all of this. If you decide to fight us, you'll lose. We got over sixty people back in our community. Killing us won't change that."

Wilson laughed at Rick "You don't get it son, we're the back-up team. My people are already in there taking your people hostage… as far the number sixty goes...how many of them are like you and Michonne? 10? 12?... I don't HAVE TO or WANT TO live in your community following YOUR rules. I told you, I'm an ALPHA MALE. I'm here to take over. …..So once I take you out, your people are going to fall in line. They are going to follow me; live in the community that I build...following MY rules."

Rick look back at Wilson, with deep contempt. "You're so full of shit."

And before anyone could move, breathe or think, Rick raised his gun and fired at the wolves. He aimed for the head of the man behind Wilson and shot him dead centre in the forehead. 

...

Jessie had hardly slept from the time she had got back home, from Rick's house. She lay in her bed crying when she heard a knock on her front door.

The clock on her bedside table read 7:15 AM.

She opened the door to find Rick Grimes at her doorstep, holding a bag in his right hand. Anger and resentment flashed across her mind as she stared back at him.

He extended the bag towards her "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I thought I wanted you. You reminded me of my past – something I thought I wanted to hold on to, for my children.

Jessie crossed her arms "Rick, I can't do this right n-

"Jessie, please just listen. I've changed a lot over the last two years. I had become the things that I had done. Every day since I got here, I'd look at my reflection and all I could see was an empty shell staring back at me. I was ashamed of what I had become. I thought I needed something - someone - who reminded me of WHO I WAS. But over the last few weeks I'd wake up, wash my face and feel excited about starting the day. I'd take shower... put on a clean shirt, tuck it in my pants, comb my hair, and check my reflection in the mirror... 'cause I wanna look my best before leaving my room. I've stopped thinkin' about the things I've done and I have started looking forward to what I want to do next."

Tears of joy and relief formed around Rick's eyes as he stared back at Jessie.

"I feel those things… because... I'm...I'm in love...with Michonne. She gives me hope for the future; she inspires me to do my very best. She kicks my ass when I step outta line. She makes me think about...a future... together. Every time I see her...I..."

Rick laughed briefly through his tears"...I feel happy."

He stopped to rub his eyes, with the palm of his left hand.

Jessie looked back at Rick ready to tell him to 'fuck off'. But yet again, just as last night, here he was being as sincere as he could be. Why was she angry at him? Because he had rejected her advances, refused to have sex with her – twice? Or because he too gave her hope….hope that she didn't have to be alone. He had respected her wishes, and had kept away from her. She's the one who had gone to his room and tried seducing him. Rick was never hers too begin with. The Rick she was seeing now, she had never seen him like that before. Jessie realized that she too needed someone…who could make her happy. And Rick... he wasn't her someone. He was Michonne's, he was her someone.

She nodded back at Rick, too overwhelmed to speak. She extended her arm and took the bag from Rick. She noticed the bandage under her eye. "What happened to your face?"

Rick lowered his head and gave her a shy smile. "Michonne found your night gown in my closet. We had a fight; she punched me in the face."

"When I woke up today, I honestly forgot what had happened last night. It wasn't until Michonne found the night gown...I realized..."

Jessie grimaced at him, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Rick…I….

Rick cut her short "Nah… It ain't on you. It was my fault. All of this...I'm sorry."

"So does Michonne think we're together?"

"Yeah, kinda..."Rick looked back at Jessie, sadly.

"Well go find her and tell her how you feel. Tell her everything you told me just now." Jessie smiled at him encouragingly.

Rick nodded back at her. "Oh I intend to. I'm going to see her now."

He smiled at her and then walked away.

Jessie closed the door behind her and walked back to her room. She dropped the bag on the floor and then fell on to her bed. She cried into her pillow, as she realized she had lost Rick for good.

The minute hand of her bedside clock ticked away, as Jessie, finally stopped crying and finally felt ready to get back up.

Jessie wiped her tears away and picked up the bag Rick had given. She pulled out her night gown and hung it back in her closet. She walked towards her bedroom window to pull away the drapes, and begin her day.

...

Daryl watched the other two rise up slowly, stumbling against each other. Mentally, pushing himself Daryl stood up on his feet. Pushing the limits of his body, Daryl placed both hands on the knife and pulled it out of his torso. The blood gushed out of his open wound, but the adrenaline kept him standing. He used his left hand to cover his wound and used his right to stick the knife out at his opponents. Daryl was prepared for battle, ready for round two.

Suddenly, Daryl felt something forcefully hit him and pierce his back. It was a machete hurled at him, from behind. He heard people behind him, as they ran towards him. Two of them grabbed his arms, from behind. Daryl struggled against them trying to ignore the pain.

The man, who was bleeding from his eye ran forwards and stabbed Daryl, this time in the chest. His knees buckled, Daryl felt the knife in his hand fall from his grip. The wolves held him up and stabbed him again from the back and the front; they tore though his flesh, they pierced his organs, and they stood drenched in his blood.

...

Jessie watched in horror as Daryl was stabbed repeatedly. He fell on his knees as one of his assailants stepped forward and stabbed him in the neck. Jessie closed the drapes and turned around in fear. For a second she was state of shock, unsure of what to do next.

She quickly found herself rushing towards her sons' bedroom and waking them up.

They protested with their usual excuses of "5 more minutes". Jessie forcibly pulled them out of their beds, as adrenaline rushed throughout her body.

She ran back to her bedroom and grabbed the only gun in the house. As she pondered her next move, Jessie remembered Rick's words from the night he had killed Pete.

" _Those who are outside will always try to get in. Both the dead and the living, because we're here..."_

She grabbed her kids and walked out the back door with only one thought in mind _'get to Rick's house. He'll know what to do'_

... 

The rest of wolves scaled the wall of Alexandria and stepped inside. It was still early, and people were still in their house getting ready for the day.

Olivia walked out of the armory, and was the first to be taken hostage. The wolves grabbed all the guns they could carry.

Sven turned to a terrified look Olivia, "Don't worry, dear. We're not going to kill all of you."

He picked up his walkie "Rolland, what's the status."

Rolland was tending to the wound on his eye "Sir, we have taken three hostages and killed two. One of them put a real fight, he hurt me and Abin. It took four of us to put him down. Then we came across another guy… pulled out his gun, but our men got him from behind."

Sven responded "Okay. We're inside now...got all the guns from their armory. We have one hostage. Come over to the main gate, you will see a small building to the right."

"We'll be there in two minutes. Out!" Rolland responded.

Sven turned to his men and women in his group. "Re-group with the rest of our pack. They have checked and cleared the perimeter. We're ready to begin."

"Go into every house; pull them out into the middle of the street. We have their weapons now. So if anyone puts up a fight kill them. As long as these people co-operate, we won't have to kill all of them."

One of the wolves spoke up, "Why can't we just kill all of them?"

Sven looked at him in anger "cause Wilson said so. We bring them out into the street and hold 'em hostage. Then we wait for Wilson and the rest of our pack."

...

Jessie warned her kids to be silent as they sneaked around the back and headed towards Rick's house. She turned every corner with her gun out, expecting to be attacked. As she rounded a corner she found Tobin, with his neck slit and a 'W' carved into his forehead. Forcing herself not to scream, she quickly turned around and told her kids to remain calm. Their frightened expressions reflected back in response.

...

Carol, Carl and Judith were having breakfast.

"What's going on with my dad and Michonne?" Carl asked anxiously.

Carol studied Carl over the coffee mug in her hand, deciding what to tell him. She sipped her coffee and quietly set the mug down.

"They...are figuring things out."

"Like what?" Carl asked impatiently. "Please Carol, tell me what's going on. Last night at the party, it looked like…they were…talking….standing very close to each other. I've seen that with my dad and mom. I've seen that in movies. It looked like they were going to kiss. Does my Dad like Michonne? Does she like him back?"

"Carl...I..yes I think so..."

Carl's face brightened up "Really? Then, how come they were yelling at each other in the morning?"

Carol pursed her lips together "I think you should wait for your Dad and Michonne to come back; Talk to them about this."

Carl gave her his most annoyed expression "OH COME ON! You were telling Michonne something about Jessie. And then you said sorry. I know - you know what's going on?

Carol shrugged at him "I might know something, but I think it'd be better if you heard it from your Dad and Michonne."

"FINE! Can you at least tell me if something happened last night, at the party?"

"I came back with you and Judith, remember? Your Dad asked me to take you guys home and we left right away."

"Yeah, how convenient! I'm 14, you know. I'm sick and tired of being treated like a child."

"Who else treated you like a child?"

"Daryl – he used to be so cool. I could ask him anything and get away with it. But last night, when I tried talking to him about Dad and Michonne he avoided it by calling me 'nosy'"

Carol looked at Carl and then Judith as she sat in her chair positively confused at the conversation between Carl and Judith.

"Carl, it's not about about how old you are. Whatever is going on between them, it's something very personal. It's not right for me or Daryl to be talking about it."

Carl grudgingly nodded back at Carol.

Carol smiled back at Carl "Speaking of Daryl - did you see him this morning? I haven't seen him since last night."

"Why, you missing your boyfriend?"

"Carl, please we're friends." Carol said as casually as she could.

"Okay I get it about Michonne and my Dad, IT'S A PERSONAL MATTER BETWEEN THEM!. What about you and Daryl? Can't you talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Are you guys together? Do you like each other?"

Carol blushed slightly as she paused to reply back. "Daryl and I -

Suddenly, they heard someone urgently knocking against the back door. The person on the other side kept turning the door handle as well, trying to get in.

Carol grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and made her way towards the window. When she saw who it was a look of pity came across her face.

She exhaled deeply as she proceeded to turn the lock and open the door.

Jessie stood outside, with her kids as she stared back at Carol in a mixture of relief and sadness.

They quickly rushed inside "Close the door Carol, and lock it."

Carol did as she was told and then turned around to look at Jessie.

Jessie held her kids tightly by their shoulders "There are people outside. They're coming for us... Carol...where's Rick?"

* * *

 **A/N: I know half of this was the remix of the previous chapter, but I just thought we needed to talk about a few things before moving forward. As always, thanks for reading you guys.**


	11. Richonne, we stick together

_**Hello everybody. hope all of you are having a nice weekend. Here's chapter 11.**_

 _ **There are a lot of things happening in this chapter, some of you may find this a little too 'exhausting'. So before you begin, take a deep breath and then get started.**_

 **Rated 'M'.**

* * *

Tara woke up next to Dr. Christina Stevens, who was softly nibbling on her nipples.

"Wake up, babe! It's time for your morning check up." Christina whispered teasingly.

A smile spread across Tara's face. She looked down to see Christina softly kissing her between her breasts, crouched over her body, supported by her arms and legs on each side.

Tara reached underneath her armpits and pulled her closer. Their naked bodies rubbed against each other under the sheets, as Christina lay over her, passionately kissing each other.

Christina pulled out her tongue, and rubbed her nose against Tara's lips.

Tara's hand softly slid across the side of Christina's face pushing her brown hair back behind her ear. She then wrapped her arms around Christina's body. "You're beautiful. I'm glad we got to do this."

"Well thank you for taking me to the party as your date. I didn't think I'd ever get to that. Let alone, meet someone as amazing as you."

Tara giggled at her "I know what you mean. For a while, I thought I was the last girl on the planet who liked girls. As for the party, it wasn't just me, Glenn and Maggie wanted you there as well. "

"Really?"

"Really. Now, I thought you were going give me a check up!" Tara said annoyingly.

Christina smiled at her "Of course!"

Tara spread her legs apart as Christina crawled downwards, pulling the covers over her head.

The bedroom door was kicked opened causing Tara and Christina to pull up their sheets, instinctively, as they stared across the room in shock.

A man entered with a gun in his hand. He smiled at two naked ladies huddled together, in shock and fear.

"HOOO-LYYY SHIT! Two cunts in the same bed? Y'all sure livin' it up here, huh!"

...

Sven looked at his pack of wolves, who had gathered around. "I asked all of us re-group so that we all know what we've done, and what we got to do next."

He nodded towards Rolland as he spoke to the rest of the pack "Rolland and his team have killed two of them. And now we have three hostages – Olivia, Gabriel and Morgan."

With his hands bound to his feet behind him, Morgan was on his knees next to Olivia and Father Gabriel. He raised his head to look at Sven at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, we know your name. Olivia filled us in when you were unconscious." Sven sneered at Morgan.

The back of his head was starting to hurt. As usual, Morgan had woken up early and gone on his routine run around Alexandria. He had then stopped behind the building that served as the church, to practice with his staff and then proceed to meditate, in the serenity of the early morning.

Today, as he was meditating, two of the wolves had sneaked up on him and knocked him out.

"I also know what you can do. You remember these guys?" He pointed to two men standing behind him, who had a smug grin on their faces. Of course Morgan remembered them. A few weeks ago they had tried to kill him, in spite of him agreeing to give all his things to them.

Sven put his hands around Morgan's throat "Last time you roughed them up, but you didn't kill them. That's the only reason you're still breathing. You try that shit again with any of my people, and I will personally pull your pants down and cut your dick off."

Morgan stared back, expressionless, in resolute silence. Sven pulled out his gun in anger and held it to the side of his temple. "Tell me you understand, Motherfucker!"

Morgan looked him straight in the eye and spoke calmly "I understand what you're doing and I understand what you're saying. But I'm not afraid of you or your people. No matter if you pull that trigger, no matter if you cut my dick off or shove a knife up my ass – I may cry out in pain but I will not cry not out in fear or beg for you to stop. But I am begging you now, to stop what you're doing to this place. Everyone here has found a way to live their lives, in spite of all the horrible things that are happening out there. Everything you're doing now is because of all those things that have happened to you, out there. But this place is way back from all of that.

There is a man here – Rick – he's the leader. Just talk to him, he's gotta hot head but he's reasonable. You and your people can join us and be a part of this community. If you stop what you're doing then you too can start living again. But if you don't, then this place becomes just as bad as the outside. And all of us end up DEAD!"

Sven chuckled at him "So we join up with you guys and become all...civilized? Cooperate and work together? Why would any of us want to do that when our way can get us what we want, whenever we want?"

He slapped Morgan across his face, hard . "Wake up, Morgan! This is as good as it gets." Morgan stared back at him, hopelessly, as he felt the sharp stinging pain across his left cheek.

Sven turned around to look at the others. "There are thirteen of us here and twenty two houses. Three of us for each house…..and we clear em'. When you get in there make sure you tie them up real tight, and cover their mouths with something. We don't want any of these bitches screaming and alerting the others. Remember, they are more of them than us. But these people…look at em'...livin' in luxury…they're weak!"

...

Rick Grimes shot the man behind Wilson, right in between 'W' on his forehead. He saw the man fall down, dead, and for a split second waited for the flurry of bullets to hit him, whilst doing his best to shield Michonne with his body. Wilson quickly turned tail and ran behind the tree for cover. The rest of the wolves did the same.

Rick turned back to look at Corrie and Megan, each with a gun in their hands staring back at him in disbelief. "They don't have any bullets–SHOOT THEM DEAD!" Rick roared at them savagely.

Wilson hid behind the tree and sweared in disbelief. "Ass-fucking-hole!"

Rick, Megan and Corrie stepped forward and fired at the wolves, trying to pin them down.

Wilson, enraged, yelled at the wolves holding the walkers. "Release the pets! We got to move, now."

The neck braces were released and they kicked them out; five walkers moved in direction of the gun fire.

Michonne ran up and cut down two of them while Rick shot the other three. Michonne turned around and nodded back at him. He proceeded to re-load his weapon. Through the confusion he saw Wilson and the rest of the wolves scatter away, as fast as they could, further into the woods. Corrie and Megan kept firing left and right, at their feet trying to scare them away.

"I said shoot them DEAD!"Rick roared at a scared looking Corrie and Megan. He loaded his gun and shot two of the wolves, dead, as they were running away. He then aimed for Wilson, but he was too far to make the shot. "We're going after them. Come on." Rick moved forward in Wilson's direction.

Michonne turned back to look at him. "Rick, stop! We got to go back."

"MICHONNE, THEY THREATENED US! You know they'll come back for us. If we go after them now, we can end this."

"I KNOW! I WANNA GO AFTER THEM JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO. BUT HE SAID HIS PEOPLE ARE ALREADY INSIDE ALEXANDRIA! WE GOT TO GO BACK"

Rick clenched his teeth and turned around in frustration. One hand on his hip and other on his machete that hung by side; Rick looked ahead in the direction Wilson had run. Michonne walked towards Rick and placed her hand on his shoulder. She leaned in closer to whisper into his ear. "Carl, Judith and everyone we love are back there. We can't just take a chance with them...and Corrie and Megan aren't ready for this..."

Rick closed his eyes and wiped sweat off his face. He took a deep breath to calm himself and turned back around to look at Michonne "You're right. I wasn't thinkin..." He nodded at Michonne and then at Corrie and Megan. "We're going back! And no matter what happens…."

He paused to look back at Michonne "...we stick together."

...

The wolves converged on each house in groups of three. Most of the people had just woken up or were having their breakfast, when they were suddenly victims of a house invasion. They were bound and gagged and dragged out of theirs households, unaware of what was going on. Morgan watched helplessly as the men he had gotten to know, the women he had talked with and the children he had played with, over the last few weeks, struggling against their captors in fear and confusion. He looked ahead in the direction of Rick's house. Squinting his eyes, he tried to look through Rick's window from the distance 'Where are you Rick – Can you see me? Do you see what's going on?'

But they were behind the armory. Rick or anyone else looking out of any window would not be able to see any of them. Morgan turned towards Glenn's house and saw three of the wolves heading towards it. He struggled against his restraints, desperately. He looked at the wolves again and saw that they had reached the front door. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, as he finally stopped struggling.

...

The wolves did not have to pick the lock, as Rick was the last one to leave the previous night. They walked in with their weapons and surveyed the living room before them. It was a clutter of happy memories - from last night's party.

A banner saying 'Congratulations Maggie and Glenn' was on full display on the wall at the other end, just beneath the staircase. Empty bottles and glasses, and dirty dishes, lay on the tables and cabinets.

There were two rooms on opposite ends of the ground floor. One of the wolves slowly walked upstairs, while the other two converged on the rooms below – one went to the right while the other went to the left.

They looked at each other and nodded before kicking their respective doors open. The one on the left was Tara's room while the one on the right was Glenn and Maggie's.

The man who entered Tara's exclaimed in shock and amusement as he entered

"HOOO-LYYY SHIT! Two cunts in the same bed? Y'all sure livin' it up here, huh!"

He stepped forward and used his foot to close the door behind him. "Get up!"

"Christina, get behind me" Tara whispered as they got off the bed holding the sheet to their chests.

"Drop the covers; let me get a good look at you two."

Tara could feel Christina shaking behind her. She kept her voice calm "If that gun goes off, everyone in this house is going to wake up."

"My people are already inside. We've already taken your people hostage. So it doesn't really matter if this gun goes off."

Tara licked her lips nervously. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Does it look like you're in control here? I'm holding the gun! You're at the other end of it. Now, drop the fucking covers, bitch!

Tara could feel the weight of embarrassment as the man raised his gun threateningly at her. She waited a second before making her decision.

She slid the sheet off her body, and pushed it towards Christina forcing her to cover herself, and stepped forward. "You want to look at something you fucking pervert? Look at me." Tara felt shivers run down her spine and the tingling sense of shame encompass her, as the man with the 'w' on his forehead ogled at her naked body. She felt violated, as he stared at her from head to toe. She could feel her eyes getting wet, as she tried to muster all the courage she had to stop herself from crying. She clenched her fist as tight as she could; his piercing gaze ripped through her flesh and skin and stared right into her soul.

"Looks like you need some trimming down there." He said mockingly. "Now let's have a look at the other bitch."

"Over my dead body." Tara said threateningly. She rubbed her eyes in contempt "Christina put your clothes on, NOW!"

The man glared at her and then smiled "Sure. Go ahead! We're going to have plenty of time to get to know each other."

Christina put on her bra and panties and then the gown she had worn last night. She pulled it on as fast as she could and then picked up Tara's clothes. "Please sir, let her get dressed. Please."

The man waited a while before nodding at Christina's request. Tara put on her clothes as the man kept his eyes on her. She felt relieved as she finally stood fully clothed in front on him.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside their room.

...

Abraham was in the toilet, taking a piss as he heard the door to his room being kicked in.

He head Rosita's scream from the other side and a man's voice yelling at her "Get down on your knees"

Abraham opened bathroom door to find Rosita at gun point, with a man standing right at the entrance of their room. The man turned his head in surprise, as he stared at Abraham. His momentary lapse of attention was all she needed. Rosita kicked him in the groin and the man bent over in pain. Abraham charged at him in fury and jumped to tackle him. The two hundred thirty pound frame of Abraham hit him like a cannon ball. Their bodies hurled through the air, from the entrance of the room, to the railings of the staircase outside. The two men crashed though the railings and landed at the foot of the staircase. Abraham had hurt his left shoulder and his knee, but the adrenaline kept him moving. He quickly pushed himself up and grabbed the gun that had fallen from the man's hand. Abraham aimed the gun to that man's head, who lay broken beneath him.

"Abraham, don't!" Glenn's voice called out in fear.

Abraham turned back to see Glenn standing outside his room, with Maggie behind him. There was a man with a 'W' on his forehead right behind her, who held a gun to her head. From the other side, the door to Tara's room opened; Christina and Tara walked out one after the other, with their arms raised. A man followed behind them with a gun in his hand.

Rosita rushed downstairs, after getting her gun from the bedside drawer. She descended each step until her line of sight coincided with the horrible scenario before them.

Abraham dropped his gun and turned to look at Rosita, with defeat in his eyes.

...

Eugene was unceremoniously pulled out of his bed, and taken downstairs. He had no idea what was going on until he saw his friends bound, gagged and on their knees. He was forced to kneel next to Abraham, and his hands and feet were restrained.

And then they heard it, the rattle of a machine gun. It sounded like it was coming from Rick's house!

...

Jessie held her kids tightly by their shoulders "There are people outside. They're coming for us... Carol...where's Rick?"

Carol studied her sweaty face, her shaky hands and her nervous posture. "He's outside, with Michonne. Tell me what is going on?"

"HE'S OUTSIDE? NOW?"

"JESSIE! You're starting to scare your kids. Calm down and tell me what happened."

"There are people out there. I don't know who they are. But I saw it through my window…I saw what they did...They killed..." Jessie paused uncertainly as she looked at Carol's calm face.

"I'm sorry...I'm really sorry Carol..."

It took a few seconds, but Carol understood what she was trying to say. "Say it!"

"Carol...I'm sorry..."

"SAY IT!"

Jessie swallowed nervously "Daryl is dead."

Carol face remained impassive, barely betraying her emotions. Her nostrils flared, as she clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. She felt a tightness encompassing her insides.

Carl yelled at Jessie "WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING?"

Carol raised her hand to silence Carl. She cleared her throat and asked Jessie in a calm voice. "What happened?"

Jessie looked at Carl and then at Carol, before speaking. "I watched it happen, through my window. There were four of them. They held him and stabbed him...they wouldn't stop. They just kept stabbing him, and then..."

Carol face remained as calm as ever, but her eyes were beginning to get wet. Drops of tears rolled down her face.

"Carol I don't think...we should..."

"I want to know."

"...They slit his throat. He's body...he's in Glenn's backyard."

Carol nodded at her slowly. "Okay. Okay." She raised the palm of her hands, and rubbed her eyes.

She turned back around and surveyed the kitchen, as she wiped her tears away. "Here's what we're going to do. There's an attic underneath the kitchen. The door is pretty much hidden. You can't see it unless you know what you're looking for. It's right under the table. We recently placed a rug over it as well. When Pete broke in here, to get Michonne's sword, Carl took Judith and hid in there. It's a safe place to hide."

Carol stopped briefly to clear her throat and rub her eyes again. She noticed Carl crying silently, trying to hide his teas. Judith played with her food in background, blissfully unaware of what was going on.

"So, Jessie - you, your kids, Carl and Judith are going to hide-"

"NO!" Carl yelled at her. "You're going after them right? for what they did to Daryl - I'm coming too. You can't ask me to sit this one out. Daryl was my friend too."

"Carl, who's going to look after Judith? - DON'T LOOK AT JESSIE. Judith is YOUR SISTER. SHE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY."

"But Carol, you can't do this alone... you can't take on all of them!"

Carol sighed deeply before speaking "When we lost Sophia, I blamed you father! Because it was easier for me to do that. But the truth is, we didn't loose Sophia...I did. She was my daughter...she was my responsibility. You don't how much that can hurt you...knowing that. You don't want to go through that with Judith. So protect her. KEEP HER SAFE."

Carl ran forward and hugged Carol as tight as he could.

...

Three men approached Rick's house. Two of them were nursing injuries suffered at the hands of the man they had stabbed to death.

One of them rubbed his left eye, in irritation. It felt like his eye was on fire.

The other man rubbed and flexed his jaw, trying to make sure nothing was broken.

They stepped on the porch, ready to break down the door.

...

Once everyone was safely inside the attic, Carol rolled back the rug and then moved the table over it.

She walked back into her room and looked at the bed she and Daryl had slept in the day before yesterday. She remembered him holding her hand and falling asleep. What were they too each other? - roommates? friends? or were they, like Rick and Michonne, slowly falling for each other?

She lied down on Daryl side of the bed, with her face against his pillow. She closed her eyes, as Daryl's scent embraced her warmly. She whispered softly like he was lying close to her "I wish you were here."

She finally rolled over to her side and pulled out the AK-56, which she kept underneath the bed.

...

Carol looked out the window and saw them approaching the house. She sat down on the sofa, with her machine gun, and waited patiently for them.

...

Three men approached Rick's house. Two of them were nursing injuries suffered at the hands of the man they had stabbed to death.

One of them rubbed his left eye, in irritation. It felt like his eye was on fire.

The other man rubbed and flexed his jaw, trying to make sure nothing was broken.

They stepped on the porch, ready to break down the door.

Bullets ripped through the doorl, before they heard the 'rat-a-tat' of a machine gun.

Their bodies were drilled in a flurry of bullets, which tore through their flesh, skin and bones like it was made of paper. Blood poured from their bodies slower than the rate at which they were hit.

Carol kept firing, with the same look of calm on the face she had before. By now, the door was filled with holes big enough to see the mangled remains of three bodies that had slumped over on the porch.

She finally took her finger off the trigger; an eerie silence followed along with the ringing in her ears.

Carol kicked out what remained of the door and stepped onto the porch. Her shoes stomped over the skin and flesh, as she walked over them and looked around the surrounding area.

She saw of two of them headed her way and opened fire at them. One of them was hit in the chest while the other ran for cover.

She then looked towards Glenn's house; the thought of saying good bye to Daryl, flashed across her mind. And that was the last thought she had before everything came to a stop.

The sniper from the watchtower watched the the blood, splatter from her head, and hit the wall behind her. The force of the bullet pushed the body backwards, hit the wall, and bounced forwards. The grey-haired woman finally slumped over the stairs of the porch.

The blood dripped down from her head, as Carol lay dead, with her finger on the trigger of her machine gun.

* * *

 _ **A/N: If this was the T.V show, I would call this point the mid-season finale. I am beyond devastated. I have been building towards this point for quite sometime now. But now that I'm here, I honestly didn't think I'd be this sad. So I'm not going to close this note by saying "hope you all enjoyed this chapter". I'm just going to say that I will be taking a short break before the next update.**_

 _ **The next chapter will be up by the end of August or the 1'st week of September. Until, then good bye and as always thank you for reading. I do hope all of you will stick with this story and see this through, along with me, until the very end.**_


	12. Richonne, get down

_**AAAANNNNNDDD...WE'RE BACK...Chapter 12, Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you all for your reviews and messages. I got a lot of hate mail recently, and thank you for caring enough to send that as well. I'm sorry if this fanfiction caused you any sort of sadness or disappointment. I am trying to tell a story where each person's action has a resultant consequence on another person or another situation. Everything is connected on a certain (fictional) level. This story will go in certain directions that may not appeal to all. However, it'll never be boring and will continue to surprise you (pleasantly or uncomfortably). Having said that, let's begin with the shortest chapter of this fic. This is "Richonne, get down"**_

* * *

Rick clenched his teeth and turned around in frustration. One hand on his hip and other on his machete that hung by side; Rick looked ahead in the direction Wilson had run. Michonne walked towards Rick and placed her hand on his shoulder.

She leaned in closer to whisper into his ear. "Carl, Judith and everyone we love are back there. We can't just take a chance with them...and Corrie and Megan aren't ready for this..."

Rick closed his eyes and wiped sweat off his face. He took a deep breath to calm himself and turned back around to look at Michonne "You're right. I wasn't thinkin..." He nodded at Michonne and then at Corrie and Megan. "We're going back! And no matter what happens…"

He paused to look back at Michonne "...we stick together."

….

The one mile hike, back to Alexandria, wasn't easy. The gun fire had attracted too many walkers in their direction. They ran as the fast they could, with Michonne leading way closely followed by Rick. Megan and Corrie kept looking at each other, as they followed Rick and Michonne. They were frightened beyond their wits, and had no idea what to do.

With her sword and his machete, Michonne and Rick cut down any walker that came too close. The rest fell back, as they moved faster trying to put some distance between them and the walkers. They could hear them behind them; moaning endlessly.

...

"COCKFUCKING-ASSLICKING-SON OF A BITCH!" Wilson roared in seething rage.

Despite scattering off, the wolves had managed to re-group with Wilson. They waited, nervously, as Wilson paced around talking to himself. His entire face was crimson red. With his eyes wide open, it looked like they were about to pop out of his eye lids. The vein on his forehead was stretched out, against his skull. He was foaming at the mouth as he spoke. "You took a shot at ME! You kill three of MY people! I'm gonna fuck you up – I'm so gonna fuck you up!"

He turned back and looked at the rest of them. They shuddered upon his gaze; it had been a while since they had seen him this angry. He was known to get unpredictable and reckless during these times.

"They haven't come after us, which means their headed back to their camp."

He pulled out his walkie "Sven, status?"

"We're inside. We have their weapons and are taking them hostage as we speak; two houses at a time. Most of them still don't know what's going on. We're going to keep it that way as long as we can."

"We have a problem. The people we were following…they….they got away. Is Maxinne in the lookout tower?"

"Yes sir.."

"if they get anywhere near that place...kill them."

Wilson looked ahead at the armored truck they had arrived in, last night. He had found it on an abandoned military base almost a year ago. Surrounded in solid steel, it weighed closed to thirty tons and was almost impenetrable. It was a monster – that had allowed him and his people to travel safely; ploughing through herds of the un-dead, as well as the living.

"GET IN!" he spat at the rest of the wolves.

...

Maxinne peered through the scope of her sniper rifle at the surrounding area. Tred stood behind her, arms folded, in gleeful anticipation. "Betchya can't make it four for four."

She smirked at his comment; while still observing the area through the periscope of her rifle. "Four people – four bullets? You're on."

His six foot-four, two-fifty pound frame took a step back as his large hands clasped her ass cheeks together. "Go get em' girl."

Maxinne saw them running through the woods. They were heading towards them; a black woman, with a sword in her hands, led the way with the other three following close behind.

She carefully took aim of her head, relaxing her shoulders and stretching out her finger before placing it on the trigger. She could feel adrenaline rush; the familiar thrill of a hunt. It was almost intoxicating.

The sound of a machine gun erupted from inside the community. Maxinne was momentarily caught off guard, unsure of what to do. Her prey had quickly taken cover behind some trees.

Maxinne watched them through the periscope, as she heard the gunfire finally come to a halt. She knew she had to make a decision, fast.

She turned around and looked around at Tred. "Tell me if they get closer."

Maxinne turned her gun towards the houses, looking for source of the noise. And then she heard it again.

A grey-haired woman stood on the porch shooting at two of her people. She hit one of them in the chest, while the other one bolted for cover. Behind her the door stood blown apart, with shredded remains of arms and guts, in a pool of blood, lay on the floor of the porch.

Maxinne carefully took aim and fired. She watched the blood, splatter from her head, and hit the wall behind her. The force of the bullet pushed the body backwards, hit the wall and bounced forwards. The grey-haired woman finally slumped over the stairs of the porch. The blood dripped down from her head, as she lay dead.

Maxinne then turned back her gun towards the woods, ready for her next kill.

...

The sound of a machine gun prompted Rick into action. "Get down" he yelled back at Corrie and Megan, as he grabbed Michonne by the waist and pulled her back. He quickly fell down on his side and dragged their bodies behind a tree.

Michonne could feel his hands shaking, as they lay tightly wrapped around her body. She could feel his breathing on her neck and his heart pumping inside his chest as they lay quietly together, waiting. With her sword in her right hand, Michonne raised her left and squeezed his fingers that were wrapped around his waist. She felt his lips on her neck as he kissed her back in response.

From the angle she was lying in, Michonne looked downwards back at Corrie and Megan who were hiding behind another tree.

They heard the machine gun go off again and finally realized the gun fire was coming from inside Alexandria.

Signaling Corrie and Megan to stay down, Rick and Michonne slowly raised themselves keeping their bodies behind the tree.

Together, they took a peek at the watchtower and quickly pulled their heads back as a bullet whisked past them, grazing the side of the tree.

Michonne put her back towards the tree and raised her sword, perpendicularly, facing the side of the blade towards them. They stared into the reflection and spotted the sniper. With the sun gleaming down on them, Michonne moved her sword towards the light, and reflected it back towards the sniper's line of sight.

Maxinne was temporarily blinded as the light hit her face.

Rick jumped out from the other side of the tree and aimed for her. He fired two shots in quick succession. While one missed her by an inch, the other one entered through her right eye and exited through the back of her skull. The bullet passed by the side of Tred's head and hit the wall behind him, as Maxinne's blood splattered across his shell-shocked face.

Her body hit the floor, and lay lifeless as the gun in her hands.


	13. Richonne, One of them

_**Hello everybody. Hope you're all doing good. Before we begin, I just like to say, take a deep breath..and fasten your seat belts.**_

 _ **This is chapter 13. Richonne: One of them!**_

* * *

Michonne put her back towards the tree and raised her sword, perpendicularly, facing the side of the blade towards them. They stared into the reflection and spotted the sniper. With the sun gleaming down on them, Michonne moved her sword towards the light, and reflected it back towards the sniper's line of sight.

Maxinne was temporarily blinded as the light hit her face.

Rick jumped out from the other side of the tree and aimed for her. He fired two shots in quick succession. While one missed her by an inch, the other one entered through her right eye and exited through the back of her skull. The bullet passed by the side of Tred's head and hit the wall behind him, as Maxinne's blood splattered across his shell-shocked face.

Her body hit the floor, and lay lifeless as the gun in her hands.

...

Having hit his target, Rick quickly took cover behind the tree. With his back against the wood, Rick stood shoulder to shoulder next to Michonne.

Pulling back on the reverse lever, the chamber of his colt python fell open. He saw that there were four bullets left. Snapping it shut, Rick pulled back on the hammer ready for battle.

"Sasha..."

Rick looked to his left at a sombre looking Michonne "they killed her..."

From behind the tree, she leaned to her left and pointed towards a body lying on the ground, at the foot of the watchtower. He tightened his grip around the handle of his gun as he took it in the image of her broken body, face down in a pool of her own blood, lying dead and defeated. Hands over his head, Rick closed his eyes and crouched down in anguish as he let it sink in... _Sasha...I'm so very sorry...I'm sorry for Tyreese... I'm sorry for Bob...I failed you...I failed all of you."_

Michonne let her hands run through his hair. He pulled her softly by her wrists, and wiped his tears against the palm of her hands. She crouched down and held him tight, as she cried into the back of his neck.

They allowed themselves to feel it - a moment of weakness, just a moment - And then it was gone.

They rose up together; anger and fear encompassed them as they thought of the rest of their family.

Rick raised his gun and aimed for Sasha's head. Michonne gripped his shoulders, as he fired his weapon.

They watched the bullet penetrate her skull.

Michonne felt hope wither away again; something they had all regained in the last few weeks.

...

Tred looked at Maxinne's body, as she lay before him. Despite being drenched in her blood, his mind still hadn't processed what had happened. He stood still, holding his breath, as he continued to stare at her corpse.

Her eyes lay open staring back at him. It looked like she was thinking, except for the bloody hole around her right eye.

He finally knelt down and placed his hands on either sides of her head. He continued to look at her in puzzlement.

 _'you can't be dead! come on...four for four..we had a bet...get up...'_

Tred had no idea how long he sat there until he heard the gun fire from down below.

He grabbed the rifle from Maxinne's dead fingers and looked for her killer.

...

Rick had just turned towards the watch tower when Tred had spotted him. Form across the distance, they stared at each other in vengeance and fury.

Tred opened fire on them. The bullets rained down upon them, as Rick and Michonne huddled together for cover.

From inside Alexandria they could here more gun shots

"We got to get in there!" Michonne yelled through the gun fire.

"Let's go for the West wall! The houses on that end are bigger, he won't be able to spot us." Rick replied back. "I'm going to take a few shots at him...make him think we're trying for the gate... "

"...and then we go back the same way...head for the wall...he'll tell his people we're out here..." Michonne finished his chain of thought.

Rick stared back at her as he kept breathing in and breathing out "we're gonna get through this."

They were lying on their bellies; faces a few inches apart, while bullets flew around them

There was a pregnant pause, before Michonne replied "I know...I believe in you, Rick."

...

Back in the watchtower, Tred finally ran out of bullets.

He crouched down against the side of the wall as he reloaded his weapon.

"and then there were two" He said to himself.

...

The gun fire had finally stopped.

"Corrie..Megan...get..." Michonne and Rick turned back around and saw their bullet ridden bodies, lying one over the other. From the looks of it, they had tried to run back into the woods. They couldn't blame them, they were probably scared.

Michonne grabbed his wrist "Come on, we got to go."

Back on his feet, Rick waited for the sniper to show himself. He needed him alive for his plan to work. He had to draw them away from Alexandria.

As soon as the sniper appeared, Rick fired at him. The sniper grabbed his injured left arm and quickly fell for cover.

The ground rumbled beneath them as they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle.

Enamored in steel, a large armored truck was headed straight for them. Crashing through the woods, it plowed down trees and any other obstacle that stood in its way.

Rick barely had time to turn back, before Michonne ran towards him and jumped. Her body hit him hard, pushing themselves away, as the truck ran over Corrie and Megan's bodies and finally crashed into the tree they were hiding behind.

Their bodies rolled over to the side, with Michonne on top of Rick.

He lay for a second staring into Mihonne's anxious eyes as he caught his breath. ' _The sniper!'_ Rick quickly turned his head and saw the sniper aiming for them.

Grabbing her by the waist, Rick pulled Michonne to the side.

The sniper kept firing down upon them, as their bodies rolled over in search of cover, finally coming to a halt behind another tree.

Wilson stepped out of the vehicle, dazed, as he had hit his head on the steering wheel. In his rage-filled frenzy, he was so focused on crashing into Rick and Michonne that he wasn't really thinking of anything else.

The rest of the wolves clamored out of vehicle, in shock.

"I got one of them"

Wilson looked towards the watchtower, at Tred waving his gun while bleeding from his arm. "...I got one of them."

"Cover me" Wilson yelled back at him.

Pulling out his bowie knife, Wilson nodded at the rest of his pack to do the same.

The walked towards the tree, slowly enclosing the gap, ready to pounce upon their prey.

As they walked around the tree, all they could find was an imprint of bloody hand and a fresh trail of blood that led out into the woods.

Wilson hissed at the rest of the wolves. "We're going after them! I don't care if it takes all day...we're going to hunt them down and kill them."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sh*t just got real.**_


	14. Richonne, strong

_**Hello people. Here is chapter 14. It's a long one. So if you're somewhere doing something...don't read this. Wait until you're home or your break time. I suggest you read it in one go. This is Richonne, strong**_

 _ **Thank you so much severelybabykryptonite, Guestz, Simple 1234, literaturechick and Zeejack for you incredible reviews.**_

* * *

Cover me" Wilson yelled back at Tred.

Pulling out his bowie knife, Wilson nodded at the rest of his pack to do the same.

The walked towards the tree, slowly enclosing the gap, ready to pounce upon their prey.

As they walked around the tree, all they could find was an imprint of bloody hand and a fresh trail of blood that led out into the woods.

Wilson hissed at the rest of the wolves. "We're going after them! I don't care if it takes all day...we're going to hunt them down and kill them."

Tred's voice sounded through the walkie "I think I got her...or maybe it was him. It was all happening so fast, but the bullet hit one of 'em. I saw the blood.."

Wilson picked up his walkie "Tred, where's Maxinne?"

"..."

"Tred..?"

"She's...he killed her...that guy..."

The rest of the wolves stared at each other in shock. Wilson cringed before replying "... I'm sorry. She was good soldier. But we can't stop to lick our wounds, not now - not when we're so close. I need you take her place. Keep an eye out for trouble. You up for that?"

Tred let his hands caress Maxinne's face.

He then checked wound on his left arm. The bullet had barely grazed him, it was just a flesh wound.

"..Yeah..I'm okay." he finally replied

"Good man. "

Wilson turned back to look at the rest of his pack. Rick had killed three of his people, when they had him cornered. There were eight of them left, including him - three women and five men.

He had even managed to kill Maxinne in spite of her having the high ground. And he and Michonne had almost killed Tred and came close to making it back inside. Wilson realized that this was starting to get way too dangerous for his people. They need to end this, now.

"We'll take the truck - cover more area that way. They couldn't have gotten far, especially if one of them is injured...the one who's not injured will be trying to save the other one. Which means they're sitting ducks. People in love are so predictably stupid. They'll want to hold on, as long as they can..."

One of the wolves spoke up "..Sir, I don't think we can take the truck. Those bodies we ran over, they are stuck in between the tires. We need to clean that shit out before we can move it."

Wilson looked at the wheels and flinched. The mangled body parts of Corrie and Megan were stuck in between the wheels - arms, legs, skull fragments and brain matter.

"Fine, we'll go on foot. Those two are out there and we can't let them escape. You all saw what they are capable of. They are a threat and we need to take care of them before we walk back in there."

Wilson pointed towards the gates of Alexandria "This is our new home. This place has got everything we need. So what we need to do right now is, to ensure it's safety! Eliminating people like Rick is the first step towards achieving that."

Tred voice cackled through the transmitter "Flesh eaters, at least sixty of them, headed our way...about hundred yards...I'd guess. Pretty soon, you guys will be surrounded."

The Walkers that had been following Rick and Michonne had finally caught up. Along with a few other ones, attracted by the gun fire.

"Tred, doesn't that rifle have a silencer?"

"Yeah. It was that asshole...he had a 44 magnum or something. That's the one that made all the noise."

"Alright, you take down as many as you can."

"We need guns."

One of the wolves asked uncertainly "Won't that make more noise?"

Wilson sneered at him. "The guns aren't for the dead. They are for Rick and Michonne. Keep your knives out. We need to keep this as quiet as possible. As soon as we're done here, we're going after them.

He pulled out his walkie again "Sven, open the gate. We need some guns. NOW!"

...

Michonne stumbled along as she walked, with her arms around Rick. Her hands were drenched in blood, her mind encompassed in fear.

"We need to head out further. They'll follow our tracks...we gotta make them think we're running away..."

"...I know, Rick" Michonne said quietly.

They kept walking, one supporting the other, making their way deeper into the woods. Michonne pushed on as hard as she could until finally "...Okay this should be fine. " Rick said, and let go of her shoulder.

Michonne looked at Rick and then set him down next to a tree, as gently as she could.

When Tred had opened fire at the them, Rick had pulled Michonne to the side and used his body to shield her before they had rolled over for cover. The bullet had entered through the back and exited through his belly. He was sure it had hit one of his kidneys and his intestines. Somehow, the bullet's trajectory had missed Michonne when it exited his body. As soon as they had rolled over behind the tree, he had managed to get back up and run into the woods with her.

But the adrenaline had worn off and soon Rick was on his knees gasping for air. Michonne managed to hoist him up, his left hand over her shoulders and her right hand around his back.

Now, as he rested against the tree, he leaned back his head and closed his eyes.

Michonne's mind was in turmoil. She quickly turned around, unable to look at him.

"...Michonne..." he called out, his voice was barely audible.

She kept her back to him. _'I can't let him see me like this.'_ She quickly rubbed her eyes and clenched her jaw - physically trying to suppress her emotions - and then turned around.

Rick's face looked pale, his eye lids were half-closed. His shirt was drenched in blood; in spite of keeping the wound covered with his hands, it kept bleeding profusely.

He was trying hard to breathe, as he kept losing more blood by the second.

For a second, her mind wandered back to the night they they had talked about their past.

...

 _She opened her eyes and looked at Rick, standing before her looking concerned._

 _"When I see you, with your children, I wish you were Andre's father. You'd do anything to keep your children safe. My boy would be alive today, if you were his dad."_

 _Rick let his arm fall from her shoulder._

 _She felt his palm against hers, and then his hand squeezing her fingers together._

 _She stared at his face, and looked into his eyes. She saw him move closer to her and felt his hand on her cheek, "I would've loved to have been Andre's dad."_

 _Their faces were inches apart. Their minds were racing, thinking about each other – everything they had done and everything they had been through._

 _She saw his eyes move downwards towards her lips. She saw him lean forward, and then she felt her head move towards him._

 _..._

Michonne walked towards Rick and crouched down. She softly placed her hands on his knees "Okay, if we head in that direction.." She pointed towards the right..." We can reach the West wall in about 30 minutes."

Rick's eye lids snapped opened. He swallowed hard. "...UH..HUH..you go on ahead. I'll catch up. I just need to sit..for a while..."

"Rick...no...no..no no...you can't close your eyes. Look at me" She noticed her hands were shaking as she cupped them around his cheeks.

Rick opened his eyes to look at her and smiled. "We've been walking for almost 20 minutes. You've been dragging me for the last 10 of 'em...don't you see Michonne?... I'm not going to make it."

Michonne stared at him, unbelieving. "Is that why you made us walk out further...? Look we can make it back, Okay? You're going to make it. We're going to get back...and have Christina fix you up...

"Those people are already inside...you heard the gunshots...how's she going to work on me with all of that..."

"I'll protect you. I'll stand watch...we'll all stand watch and protect you...

"I can hardly breathe, I've already lost a lot of blood. Everything seems blurred to me right now...and...and I can't feel my legs."

Michonne looked at his legs and pressed them softly. She saw drops of water on his pants. She looked above at the sunny sky, wondering where the water had come from. It took her a while before she realized, it was her tears.

Rick's mind wandered back to yesterday

...

 _"I got to go- Rick. I'll talk-see you….. la-ter."_

 _"MICHONNE!"_

 _She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him._

 _Rick stood a few feet away, with a determined look on his face. He felt his heart rate begin to rise. He heard each beat, as it pounded faster and faster in his chest._

 _He took a deep breath, and then. "I'm sorry for NOT kissing you, last night. I wish I had - I wanted to."_

 _Michonne blinked back at Rick, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She felt her cheeks starting to get warm. She blushed and then her face slowly split into a smile._

 _He felt a tremendous weight lift from his chest. He knew he will never forget that look on her face._

 _His felt elated as he thought...'God! You're so beautiful. How could have I been so blind? You've been standing in front of me and I looked at someone else, because she reminded me of my past? I'm sorry Michonne, I am a dumb-ass! 'Cause only someone like that could not see you for who you are. You're strong, you're brave...you're fierce, and you're a warrior...at the same time...You're gorgeous, you're compassionate, you're kind, you're caring, you're sweet...my kids, they love you. And I...I think I'm getting there.'_

 _She walked towards him. "Well, maybe you should try again."_

 _"Oh, I intend to" he replied taking a step forward_

 _"RICCCKKK, we're ready"._

 _Rick turned back to see Tobin wave at him from the distance. He raised his hand up to signal Tobin, he had heard him._

 _Exasperated, he looked back at Michonne and smiled at her apologetically._

 _"It's okay, Rick. You go ahead"_

 _"Maybe….we can see each other…later?" Rick asked sincerely._

 _"Yeah…maybe…." Michonne replied, teasingly._

 _She saw his eyes move up all over her face taking in every detail. He seemed to be thinking about something. And then without warning, he slightly raised his chin and brought his lips to her forehead._

 _He then stepped back, and looked at her._

 _The moment their eyes met, they chuckled at each other._

 _"Was that a tease?"She asked him._

 _"No...That was me saying...you're beautiful" He said quietly. "I'll see you later."_

 _..._

"Do you feel this? Rick?.."She kept pressing his legs

"...no..."

"I'll carry you on my back if I have to..."

He smirked slightly "...I'm heavier than I look...besides, i'll just slow you down, leave a blood trail... Those bastards will catch up... and they'll kill you. I'm already dead..you shouldn't waste your time on me. You need to get back and...help them..."

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU THINK, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE YOU?"

"Michonne...

"you said 'we stick together no matter what'. I'm sticking with you. If we're going to die, we're gonna die together."

She tore a piece of her shirt, around her waist, and wiped the sweat off his face.

"Michonne...please...Carl and Judy are back there. You gotta protect them. They can't grow up in a world without the both of us. You got to look out for them...tell them I'm sorry and I..tried...Tell them that I... love them very much."

"WE're BOTH going to be there for them...all I need is a long piece of cloth." Michonne looked around desperately. "You could lie on it and-and I'll drag you..."

"Michonne, stop...

"No, Rick I'm thinking...or a branch - a long one. You could just hold on...or..." she covered her face with her hands "I just need to think...I just need..."

"...you need to leave..NOW."

"NO...we can figure something out...Rick...Rick stay with me...PLEASE...PLEASE!"

Rick had closed his eyes again. He licked his lips, dryly.

' _He lost a lot of blood...he needs fluids...water...'_ She raised her hands; covered in Rick's blood from helping him walk, and looked around desperately. She looked at the sky above her for a hint of rain, and then at the ground beneath her.

She took a few steps back and fell on her knees. Using her fingers she violently scratched against the earth, trying to dig through the rocky exterior. It broke her nails and tore through her skin; she barely flinched as she kept digging until she realized the stream was located far towards the East. Geographically, they were on the opposite end. This area had nothing but rocks.

She looked at the bruises and cuts on her fingers, and then at her sword. Rubbing her hands against her clothes, she grabbed the sword with her right hand and made a cut to the index and middle fingers of her left hand.

Still on her knees, Michonne moved towards Rick and held her fingers towards his dehydrated lips; he sucked on them gratefully.

She watched him sadly as her mind flashed over last night

...

 _Rick looked at her with a surprised expression. "Why not?"_

 _"Uh...well, at first it was postponed from the original date, because of some stupid student-faculty disagreement. It was supposed to take place on my 18'th birthday. But it didn't, so I went out drinking with a friend, illegally! Oh you wouldn't believe the things that happened after."_

 _"Anyways, the prom was then shifted to another date - a few days before our final exams. During all of this I sort of...met this guy. And I use the term "met" very loosely. He...well…when I think about it now it's so stupid. But, he kind of broke my heart, and I just kept saying no to every guy who kept asking me to the prom. The truth is I just didn't feel like dressing up and going to any kind party after that."_

 _Rick lowered his head and looked at her "Well he had to have been a complete moron!"_

 _Michonne laughed at him. "Yeah, maybe, but that moron toughened me up."_

 _"Once I started college, I started training in martial arts and kick boxing. Did a lot of yoga and meditation. I told myself - I don't need a man to protect me! Basically, I never wanted to feel that vulnerable again."_

 _Rick, slowly, let his arm slide around her back, and gripped her waist. He pulled her closer and whispered into her ear "How about now?"_

 _She turned her head towards him and let her chin rest on his shoulder. Her eyes wandered over his face; she felt his warm fingers through the fabric of her dress._

 _"You make me want to."_

...

"I can't just leave YOU! And you can't leave ME...you can't leave US!. You're our leader. You keep us safe. You look out for us..you fight for us... YOU'RE TOUGH! YOU'RE STRONG..." Michonne pleaded in desperation.

Rick smiled at her "...nah...not really..you remember me and the governor? He kicked my ass. YOU saved my life...YOU found me and Carl...YOU're the strong one...always have been..."

Michonne wiped her nose "He doesn't count. He was a PSYCHO...I got my ass kicked by him, too. I had to stick a piece of glass in his eye, just to stop him from choking me to death."

Rick nodded at her proudly "Really?... guess that makes me almost as tough as you."

Michonne broke into a grin, through her tears.

Rick smiled back at her.

They smiled at each other briefly until it faded away, slowly, as they continued to stare at each other.

As each second passed, Rick could feel his life slipping away. His mind replayed the first time he kissed her.

...

 _"Guys Rick and I were just talking – we were getting to know each other. There's no need to make a big deal out -"_

 _She heard footsteps behind her. Michonne turned around to see Rick walk towards her._

 _As he reached her, he placed both hands around her cheeks and puller her towards him. He brought his face towards her, and kissed her lips for the first time._

 _Her hands went around his back and held onto him as tight she could. She kept her head raised as she kissed him back; she pushed her body into him and felt his heart beating in his chest._

 _Their lips broke apart, breathless, as a thread of saliva hung between her lips and his. They lovingly stared at each other, unable to look away._

 _Rick whispered for Michonne to hear "'I'm saying I like you, and I WANT YOU TO KISS ME! That's what you were saying earlier."_

 _She traced her fingers around his lips. "Yeah."_

 _Rick leaned towards her again; he brushed his nose against neck. He breathed in her scent and then kissed her again. "You know, I woke up today morning dreaming about this moment. I just didn't think it would happen."_

...

"Kiss me..." He said breathlessly.

She knew what he was asking, she understood what it meant.

She shook her head in anger "NO! NO, you don't get to do that. I'm going to find a way to get Christina out here. After she fixes you up, I'll...I'll kiss you. I'll... hold you as tight as I can...and I'll never let go...we'll be together..." Her voice finally broke. She couldn't go on. Her chest felt heavy, she was finding it difficult to breathe...and then she let it all go.

Michonne lowered her head and put her hand on his shoulders. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. Her whole body shuddered as she cried, taking deep breaths in between.

Rick watched her cry through his blood shot eyes. His body, tired and broken, didn't have anything left in it. He wanted to touch her, but his arms felt like they were tied down to the ground.

Michonne raised her head, and looked into at him. She leaned forward and placed her hands on either sides of his head. She took his lips in her mouth and tasted her blood on them. She opened her mouth slightly and felt his dry tongue push forward. With all the energy he could muster, he lightly brushed against the inside of her mouth trying to savor ever inch of it one last time. Michonne's fingers caressed his hair, as she held on tightly. He finally enclosed his lips around her upper lip, unable to let go.

For second, it felt like a few hours ago; they were standing under the shower, rubbing their bodies, tasting and touching each other. Confessing their true feelings, while making love. Feeling safe in each other's arms, blissfully happy and content.

But they were out in the woods, kissing each other goodbye. "I love you, Michonne. I love you so much" he said, as their lips finally broke apart. They rested their foreheads pressed against against each other.

From the minute he got shot, Rick knew what he had to. He had tried to remain strong throughout his conversation with Michonne. But now, as he realized it was time for her to go, he doubted how long he could keep up the charade.

He could hear his inner voice, confessing in fear and despair.

 _'I don't want to die, Michonne. I don't want you to leave me. I wanna live - with you and Carl and Judy and with the rest of our family. In spite of everything that has happened, meeting you, being with you, falling in love with you has been the best thing that has happened to me since Carl was born. I just wish I had met you all those years ago, we could've had so much time together._ _I'm sorry Michonne. I'm so sorry._ _I know how much it's going to hurt for you get up and just walk away. I know you'll need all the strength and courage you can summon. I know it's easier to stay back, here with me, and die tog_ _ether. Going back there means, you'll have to put aside your grief and pain and fight for survival - fight for everyone. But if anyone can do that it's you. 'Cause you're stronger than all of us. I'm so sorry Michonne. I'm so very sorry for hurting you so much. I hope I see you someday, somewhere._

Michonne kept her forehead pressed against him. Her tears rolled down from eyes and into his face.

"Michonne...It's time. You gotta leave...take my belt. My gun's got two more bullets in it. Leave the machete by my side. Cover it with leaves. I'll try to get one of em' if they come my way. Go..."

"I can't...I can't. I'm sorry for all the things I said, earlier. I don't even care about any of it. Please...just let me stay...PLEASE...don't ask me to leave. I love you..."

"...then, let me go..."

Michonne clenched her teeth, and closed her eyes again. She brushed her face against his; feeling his skin and then kissed him one more time, pressing into his lips.

She unbuckled his belt and strapped it around herself. The gun hung on her right, from it's holster, while the red handled machete hung on her right. She picked up her sword and placed it's sheath, behind her.

Like he said, she laid the machete next to him, on his right and covered it with leaves. Michonne kept her focus on what she was doing rather than on him. Once she was done she stood back and kept her eyes lowered on his boots. Then, very quickly, before she could lose her nerve, she turned to her right and walked away.

Rick, like her, kept his eyes on her knees trying not to look at her. And then he saw them turn and walk away

Rick rested back his head and closed his eyes, as he let out a sigh of relief and sadness.

She kept walking, careful not to leave any tracks, and once she was far enough turned around and looked at Rick one more time.

From the distance it almost seemed like he was sleeping. Leaning back against the tree with his eyes shut, alone in the woods.

Michonne's mind wandered back to last night

...

 _Her mind kept replaying the events of that evening. She wondered if she should have waited around. But Maggie had told her why Glenn had planned an after-party, and why it was so important to him._

 _'Tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up, have a nice shower. Put on some nice clothes, and then wake him up. We'll have an early morning breakfast and then spend rest of the day together...maybe get into bed together...a little pillow talk…And then maybe...Michonne smiled into her pillow as she imagined Rick, naked, making love to her._

 _She grabbed the pillow that lay on the other side of the bed, and pulled it towards her in a hug. She smiled into the pillow as she thought of Rick, eventually drifting off into a peaceful slumber._

 _..._

"Rick...Rick...wake up sweetie..."

Rick had passed out at some point, until he heard some one close to him. The voice seemed to be coming from afar. He could barely open his eyes until someone pushed apart his eye-lids. "Rick...honey...baby...are you dying... or dead?

Rick slowly moved his head, trying to get the person to take his hand of him. The sneering face of Wilson, appeared before him, as he slowly opened his eyes. The wolves had him surrounded, guns in their hands, with Wilson standing right in front of him.

"Damn! You look like shit."

"Call me a sexist, but when I saw the blood trail back there I though it was Michonne. And then you'd want revenge, you and I would have show down...beat the crap out of each other. Of course I'd beat your skinny ass. - they used to call me rowdy Wilson back in day! I was looking forward to a throw down between the two of us. But this...this...is... pathetic."

Rick closed his eyes again.

Wilson slapped him hard "HEY! You look at me when I'm talking to you boy..."

"Now tell me, where's Michonne..."

Rick shook his head at him

"Rick, I know you're dying and you got nothing to lose. But I'll make a deal with you. You tell me where she is, and I'll shoot you in the head right now and that will be the end of it. You have my word. But if you don't, I will cut your throat out and then you'll turn. I'll attach you to a neck brace and pull you around like my pet, for the rest of you dead-undead life. And I'll make sure your son sees it, every day for the rest of his life or for however long he's alive...MICHONNE, are you out there - hiding behind some tree?"

Rick opened his mouth and said something silently, trying to get Wilson to come closer.

"What's that..." he bent down and brought his ear towards Rick.

"You're...gonna die..." Rick whispered and tried to reach for the machete that lay next to him, covered in leaves.

His entire arm felt numb, lying uselessly from his side. Rick willed himself to move his fingers, but they wouldn't move an inch.

Wilson looked at him, pleasantly curious wondering what he was talking about. "You were saying?"

"You're never gonna find her. She's too smart for you."

Wilson nodded in respect. "Okay...okay...NOW...YOU'RE gonna die..."

He grabbed Rick by his hair and pulled his head towards him. Wilson pulled out his bowie knife and brought it closer to Rick's neck.

"If I find her, Rick, if she comes after us...I'll rape her, and then I'll make my men do it...and then...I'll make your SON do it. After all of that... I'll slash her throat, just like I'm about to do to you."

Wilson stabbed Rick in the neck and slit his throat. Blood gushed out of his arteries as Rick's head slumped forward against his chest, until finally he was dead.

Wilson then carved a 'W' into the dead man's forehead. "Rick, is one of us now!"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry.**


	15. Richonne, he's not coming back

_**Hello everybody, before we begin just want to say a few things. The "I'M SORRY" note I mentioned in the last chapter was not because Rick died. That's part of the story. The sorry was for you guys. I know it was painful to read that chapter. Emotionally, I was drained by the time I finished writing it. I felt their pain and suffering. So it hurt when a few of the reviewers said I was 'trolling' or did it for 'shock value'.**_

 _ **I assure I did not. I hate the very thought of those two concepts. I think it's extremely insulting for anyone to do that. And I will NOT do that to my readers. Honest-to-God his death (unfortunately) is part of the story line. So what happens to Richonne? Well, if you read on you'll find out. I promise you, by the time you are done with this chapter, you will have a fair idea on why he had to die.**_

 _ **So thank you once again, for your passionate reviews and feedback. Now let's get started with chapter 15 - Richonne, he's not coming back.**_

* * *

Wilson stabbed Rick in the neck and slit his throat. Blood gushed out of his arteries as Rick's head slumped forward against his chest, until finally he was dead.

Wilson then carved a 'W' into the dead man's forehead. "Rick, is one of us now!"

"Do we carry him back to camp?" One of the wolves asked.

"Hell, no! This bastard is going to turn and he's going to roam around looking for something alive to eat. I want him to go through that. And then we'll think about bringing him in.

"What about the girl?"

"She's either run for it or she's hiding out here, somewhere. I don't think we need to worry about her. If she's out here, she's gonna see what we did to her boyfriend, and that's going to break her."

"What if she's heading back there, now?"

"She'll die! Don't think I haven't thought about it, Jerry. But Tred's watching over that place like a hawk. There's no way she can get in without Tred spotting her, first. Now granted, he ain't as good a shot as Maxinne. But he can get the job done. Besides, I think we can handle some chick with a sword."

"But she's out there, alive!" He argued back.

"JERRY...Don't you get it? There is no Michonne without Rick. There is no them without HIM. HE was the guy who could have beaten us. She and the rest of them back at camp would have rallied behind him, if he was alive. They would have found a reason to keep fighting.

"Don't you see what I'm talking about? Haven't any of you idiots read the bible? Or watched the movie? I'm taking about MOSES!"

"MOSES came back to Egypt to free his people, from the mighty pharaohs. His people found hope and courage. They fought back (with the help of GOD),

fucked up those pharaohs and they won. They got their freedom."

The rest of the wolves blinked at Wilson, clearly confused.

"All of us had our guns on them back there at the stream. They would have handed over their weapons if it hadn't been for him."

"Because he saw through our lies...through ME! He was the first to fire at us. Rick is and was their last hope. And now...

Wilson turned back to look at Rick's lifeless body. "...he's dead."

"...let's face it...Michonne's not Rick, and she ain't no MOSES either!"

...

Maggie watched tearfully, as they dumped Carol's body to the side, along with Daryl, Sasha, Tobin, Deanna, Spencer and two other residents of Alexandria. Flies buzzed around their decomposing flesh, like they were dead cattle. Maggie shared a look of sadness with the rest of the family; feeling the crushing weight of loss and despair.

Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, Rosita, Gabriel, Eugene, Tara, Christina and Morgan, were on their knees along with the rest of the Alexandria. Hands tied to their legs, behind their backs. They were out in the middle of the street, under the hot sun as the nine of the thirteen wolves who had entered camp stood around with guns in their hands.

When Carol had fired at the wolves she had managed to kill four of them, before she was put down by the sniper. Her goal was to kill as many and alert the whole town as to what was happening. Unfortunately, Carol was shot down before she could create enough commotion to get everyone's attention.

After Carol had fallen, Deanna and her son, Spencer, along with two other brave Alexandrians had rushed forwards with guns in their hands, but they were quickly put down by Wolves. In the ensuing battle, Daryl's body was caught in the cross-fire. A few of the bullets had hit Daryl in the head, preventing him from turning.

The rest of the residents clamored for safety, barricading their doors, hiding under their beds, praying and wishing for the nightmare to end. But it was only the beginning; they were beaten, injured and pulled out of their homes. Threatening and forcing them into submission, the wolves had won the battle for Alexandria.

The rest of the family kept looking around for Rick, Michonne, Carl and Judith. They were the only ones missing. _Where are you, guys? Rick, Michonne are you out there?_

The gates of Alexandria were pulled open and a burly man with blond, shoulder length, walked in. He was followed by the seven other people, all with W's on their heads. He had a pleasant clean shaven face, with a scar over his right eye. He was as tall as Rick, but a lot more heavy-set.

About a hour ago, they had seen the same man walk in and take a few guns from the armory, sceaming "we're going after them."

The long haired man, pulled Sven away quickly into a conversation.

"It's done. Rick is dead. We couldn't find the girl, but I doubt she'll be a problem. How many did we lose here?"

"Five, including Maxinne. I still can't believe she's gone. How's Tred?"

Wilson shrugged at him, "He's fine. Sounded a little broken up earlier. But he's up there now, watching over us."

"Oh, and the truck is out there. We ran over some people. Get someone out there and clean it up, not now, later. Once that is done, bring the truck back in. What's the total number of people here?

"40. We had to kill a bunch of them."

"18 of us and 40 of them. I want this place locked down. No one gets in or out. It's not that hard to sneak in here. Tred's got a bird's eye view from the look out tower, but we can't be too careful. Rick's girlfriend is still out there. I don't think she'll plan an attack all by herself. Either way, two men for each wall; East, West, North, South, if she or anyone else tries climbing over any of those walls - shoot em'. "

Wilson looked at the hostages, studying each face. "Get me that photo album."

He studied each picture carefully and then looked back at the hostages "Where's the baby? Rick's holding a baby in this picture. And where's his son...and"

he flipped over a few pages until... "there's a blonde woman here and her kids, where are they?"

Sven looked at the pictures over his shoulder and then back at the hostages. "I don't know. We searched every house just like you said."

"Could they have sneaked out?"

"It's...unlikely..but possible. We had to regroup in between, so that I could brief everyone. This was before we began the home invasion, so if someone sneaked out through the back door of their house, we could have missed it. Maxinne ane Tred were watching us at the time."

"Sven...this...no wait...this is perfect!" Wilson stared back at the residents of Alexandria. "Rick is dead. His children are not here, Michonne's not here. If I tell them I killed Rick, then he becomes martyr. But if I tell them that he ran away...left and abandoned them... that will crush them. It may take time, but eventually they'll need someone to follow... and I'll be right here. But first we need to break them."

He marched forwards and stood before the hostages. "Good morning everybody. My name is Wilson, and no the W on our heads doesn't stand for my name. I'm only as egoistic as the average person. " Wilson laughed at his own joke while the others stared at him in total silence.

"Hmmm..tough crowd. I was trying to ease the tension...but whatever. The W stands for Wolves. And that's who we are. A pack of intelligent, viscous and reasonable - WOLVES!"

"Where's Rick?" Glenn yelled back at Wilson.

"HEEEE LEFT! Ran away"

"BULL-FUCKING SHIT!" Abraham bellowed back at him.

Wilson exclaimed in frustration. "I assure you, it's not!"

"Rick wouldn't leave us. We are his FAMILY. He'll never abandon his family." Maggie spat out in rage.

He bowed his head back at her "I agree with you, ma'am, One hundred percent! Rick wouldn't abandon his family. So look around you... do you see his son? his baby?...Michonne?"

Maggie blinked back in silence. She looked at Glenn and Abraham and then at the rest of the people as they stared back at her."

"Did you kill them?" Maggie asked quietly.

"ME? NO!"

"Tell us the truth, asshole where are they? What did you do to them?"Glenn asked in an irate tone.

Rosita finally broke her silence "You came in earlier, about a hour ago, and took guns from armory. We saw you. You were screaming - 'we're going after them?' was that Rick and Michonne you were going after? They tried to fight you didn't they?"

Wilson's mind flashed over the blonde woman from the photo album. "There was this blonde woman, she managed to sneak out...

Morgan spoke up "Jessie?"

"...sorry, couldn't catch her name...she tried firing at us...she had kids. We didn't know about it. We opened fire - they died."

Morgan clenched his teeth. He had grown quiet fond of her son. He reminded him of Duane. And Jessie seemed like a sweet girl.

"Look, I met Rick and Michonne this morning, pointed a gun at her and Rick was on his knees begging me not to kill her. We made a deal. He asked me to spare him, Michonne, his kids and in return we could have this place."

"You're full of shit" Tara yelled back at him. "We know, Rick. He'll blow your head off first, as well as your fucking W! And Michonne will cut your hands off and shove it down your throat before you could pull a gun on her. If they aren't here, it's because you killed them."

"... just like you killed Carol, Sasha, Daryl, Deanna, Spencer, Albert, Chloe, Jessie...her kids..." Maggie cried at Wilson.

"At least have the balls to say it." Glenn fired back, in support.

Sven quickly spoke up "Rick and Michonne left today morning. Olivia here can back me up on that...go ahead, Olivia. Tell them."

Olivia shuddered at the sound of her name. She looked back through her tears at the inquisitive faces of Maggie, Glenn, Abraham as well as the rest of the people.

"It's true. Michonne, Corrie and Megan left today morning. Some of the bathrooms-

"You guys have bathrooms? SHIT! And we've been crapping behind bushes all this time." One of the women with the Wolves spoke in contempt. The rest of the wolves laughed at Olivia.

Olivia continued "Some of the bathrooms had a water shortage. Corrie and Megan figured that some of the pipes may be blocked. I saw Michonne, asked if she would go with them. After some time, I saw Rick. He asked me where was Michonne. I told him where they went and he left to join them."

"Thank you, Olivia. I'll take it from here.' Wilson cleared his throat. "So we caught up with the four of them. Corrie and Megan pulled their guns on us. So we killed them -"

There was a collective shudder, as people stared at Wilson's casual remark, in shock.

"Yeah I know, terrible right? Where was I - yeah - we pulled a gun on Michonne, Rick tried his tough guy act... and then whimpered like a bitch "PLEEEASEE...let her go...I'll do anythin. We then struck a deal. He told us about this place; your people, your resources.'"

Sven continued "We came back here, got his kids out first. Then captured Olivia."

Abraham shook his head "Do you know how stupid all of that sounds? Do you really think we're just gonna swallow all that shit you're trying to shove down our throats? I guess if you're stupid enough to carve a W into your forehead.. your stupid enough to think that we're stupid enough to believe you."

"STUPID? okay SHERLOCK...how do you think we know their names? Rick...Michonne...how do you think - us being STUPID and all - know that Rick and Michonne are together? How did we know about the kids? HUH?"

Abraham shrugged at Sven "Doesn't mean we believe you. Rick wouldn't just walk away. I know he'll do anything for his kids...we all know that. I had a family once...I know I'd have done anything for them. Rick is a father, he is not different. But he wouldn't abandon us, no way! He ain't that kind of man."

Tears ran down Glenn's face "IS HE DEAD? TELL US THE TRUTH."

"What's your name, boy?" Wilson asked with a somber expression.

"...Glenn..."

"...Glenn...and the girl next to you, judging by the way she keeps looking at you, I'm assuming she's your girl?"

"...Maggie...she's my wife."

"That's sweet. I had a girl once - we were in love.. was thinking about getting married. We got separated when all of this began. She was with my best friend. She assumed I was dead and got together with him. A year later, I finally found her. The things I had to go through...you see this cut under my eye...she did it, after I found her. She was afraid of what I'd do to my best friend... if I found about them. So I put a gun to her head, and asked HIM to cut himself - made her watch. He did it...he kept mutilating himself until he was dead. And then I asked her to eat pieces of him that he had cut out...she couldn't take it. So she grabbed the knife out of his dead fingers and stabbed herself to death. And then she came back...dead and moaning...I couldn't put her down.. So I tied them up together and buried them. Last I saw, she was biting his flesh off as I kept shoveling dirt on them.

"My point is love makes us do crazy things. I've always been a fan of romantic stories - see the thing is, people in love...they're so goddamn predictable. If I were to put a gun against Maggie's head, and said the only way to save her was to kill the big guy next to you...You'd do it. Rick is no different. He loves Michonne, he loves his kids...he's human...look I get it, in your mind he's some kind of hero that defies all odds and saves the day...but he's just a normal guy. And he saw a way out for his children and the woman he's in love with."

"And another point to that story was that... now all of you know something about me. I CAN BE BRUTAL...A SADISTIC MANIAC...but that can only happen if you piss me off! Or else, I'm a reasonable guy. A vengeful one - but reasonable! If my goal was to kill all of you, I'd have done it already. But here you are, alive, in front of me. Because I need you people, and you need me and my people. Rick is gone. You need someone to follow, someone to keep you safe - I can be that guy. But you got TO EARN my trust. You got to EARN the 'W'. It's not easy, but if you're willing to follow me...then that's the first step. We can work together, build this community..live in peach and harmony...'

Wilson pointed at the dead bodies assembled in one corner "Those people tried to fight us, they had to go. The rest of you...you didn't, showed us that you're reasonable. Look we even carried in that sniper girl's body. We could've left it out there to rot, but we wanted to give you guys a chance to say goodbye and put them to rest. Why would we that - because killing them wasn't personal...we were protecting ourselves"

"...AND THEY WERE PROTECTING THIS PLACE...PROTECTING ALL OF US...YOU THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA SHRUG IT OFF... JUST FORGET IT...JUST LIKE THAT?" Glenn spat into his face.

Wilson closed his eyes, trying to control the rage he was feeling. He visualized, bashing Glenn's skull in with a barbed wired baseball bat. He wiped the saliva off his face and smiled at Glenn "Do you wanna die? or how about Maggie? huh?"

"..."

"What's that Glenn? I couldn't hear you"

"No."

"Good! You can't be so naive! THEY HAD TO GO! All of those people. You want to blame someone? Blame Rick. He told us about this place. He made the deal with us...traded all of you...for his real family."

"He wouldn't do that" Morgan looked at Wilson "I know him...met him for the first time..right when all of this began. My wife was bitten and she had turned. He was looking for his wife and his son. He was scared for them...but in spite of how worried he was..he tried to help me. He tired to convince me to put her down - do the right thing. That's the kind of man Rick is. No matter what, he'll always TRYYYYY...to do the right thing...TO HELP YOU. And this...DEAL...he'll never see it as the right thing to do...You're lying. Rick is either dead or trapped somewhere. You remarked upon your compassion...you brought Sasha's body in... giving us a chance to say goodbye. Okay, so where's Jessie's body? Her kids?"

"Flesh eaters got to them first. What do you think we've been doing out there for the last hour? killing a girl and her kids? All that gun fire drew a lot of those flesh eaters to this place. We were taking care of them. Killed every last one of them."

Morgan smiled at him and shook his head. "So, where's Rick?he just walked away? Michonne just walked away? They are out there now, walking in the opposite direction"

Glenn looked up at Wilson "If he's out there, he'll come back for us."

"Really, Glenn? You really think so?"

"I know so. A while ago Maggie and I were captured by this psycho. They beat us, tortured us, and then they were going to kill us. Rick came to rescue us, with Daryl and Michonne. He fought an entire town and he saved us. Brought us back home. That's the kind of person he is."

Maggie nodded "we wouldn't be alive today, if it weren't for him."

Wilson looked at Abraham "What about you big guy, you think he's coming back?"

"These people here, we were locked together in a box car, to be eaten by bunch of cannibals. Rick came back for us, opened that door and let us out. And then we killed every last one of those fuckers. So YEAH! If he's out there, he's coming back for us. And that boy's got a temper. When he finds out, about all the people you killed...he's going to do things to you, you're gonna bleed, you're gonna cry...you're gonna beg him to kill you. But I'm gonna be there to make sure he doesn't...so that I can DO things to you and to ALL OF YOUR PEOPLE."

Wilson smiled at Abraham, Glenn, Maggie, Tara, Rosita, and then at Glenn. "Okay, I get it. You're loyal. I can appreciate that. So let's wait for Rick. I'll give you time...fuck it I'll give you the whole day."

He looked at the rest of the people. "NO FOOD! NO WATER. YOU CAN SIT OUT HERE AND WAIT FOR RICK to come and rescue you!"

One of the residents spoke up "Sir, please my son, my wife... they cant'... We don't want to wait for Rick. We'll follow you. We want the W, I'll do anything to earn it. "

"Really, anything? I'll give you a gun, you shoot your boy in the chest - kill him. Then wait until he turns, then shoot his brains out. You ready for that?"

The man glared at Wilson, and then lowered his head.

"Yeah...that's what I thought."

"All of you are going to sit out here until you realize that there is no one coming to save you. And then you'll accept me as your savior and your leader. OH... and this goes without saying...but I'm gonna say it anyway..you try to escape...harm my people...I'll make you watch as I do terrible things to the people you love -your son, your wife, your daughter...I don't care."

"Think of this as a...hazing process. An initiation - the first step towards becoming a 'WOLF'."

Wilson stepped back and joined Sven "Check every house...every damn room, again. Rick's son, the baby, the blonde girl, if they are hiding here somewhere I want them found. Don't kill them here. Take them out to the woods and finish them. Then bury their bodies."

I need to convince these people everything I said is true. If they see one of them alive then it's all OVER! We'll have no choice but to kill them. I need these people, I mean did you hear the way they were talking about Rick! That kind of loyalty, in this kind of world - we need that. AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE STRONG! Did you hear the things they had go through? SHIT! The rest of these fuckers are a waste. But we'll need workers, busy bodies, errand boys...This place has more to offer than Shirewilt Estates. You know we had to kill them. We couldn't get them to trust us, because of stupid mistakes. We can't repeat those here. "

"The first step towards building loyalty, is to make people think that you are honest with them. Then we earn their trust, then their respect and then...their ours."

Sven replied back "Is that what you did with us?"

"Yes, but not to you. If there's one person I've completely been honest with, it's you. You're my friend. Everyone else is expendable."

Sven looked back the hostages and then at Wilson "What if at the end of the day they still feel the same way about us?"

Wilson shrugged at him "Their human beings, they need food and water. How long do you think they can hold out? 3 days, 4? Pretty soon they'll give up waiting for Rick. And then they'll be begging us for the 'W'. And if they don't...we take one of them and rip him/her apart in front of their eyes. They'll fall in line after that."

"Now, I'm gonna go rest in one of those houses. You tell our people to keep an eye on our hostages. And if any of our people want to take some rest, eat some food, no problem. But we do it in pairs of two. I don't want to take any chances. Remember there's just 18 of us and 40 of them."

Sven scratched his head and hesitantly "Some of the guys want to have a _go_ at the women. You got to admit, they got some good looking bitches here."

"Tell them to keep it in their pants, at least for a few days. We want their trust! Have you heard of Stockholm syndrome?What do you think is going to happen to them without food and water? They'll turn to us...dependency is a powerful concept. Those women will come to us. Like I said, this place has got everything."

Wilson looked at Glenn; staring at the gate.

"Rick ain't coming to save you, boy. You can stare at the gate all you want, but he's not coming back."

...

It was late in the evening. The sun had barely set an hour ago. Hungry and thirsty, the residents of Alexandria had been begging for food and water for the last hour. The Wolves, gleefully, smiled at them as they munched on their snacks.

Rick's family were the only ones to hold out. They kept waiting patiently, hopefully, for a way out. Glenn wasn't worried about not eating, but Maggie was pregnant. He didn't know how long he could hold out on her, no matter how many times she assured him that she was fine.

The entrance gate was suddenly pulled open. Wilson headed out into the darkness, along with a group of four men, and the gate was shut behind them.

Four wolves stood in front of them, guns in their hands keeping watch. Glenn went back to staring at the ground and felt the time slip by as he kept thinking of a way out.

The sound of a vehicle and the gate being opened again, brought him back to the present.

A truck rolled in, enamored in solid steel. As soon as it passed through, the gates were shut immediately.

Then without warning, the engine roared and the truck rushed towards the four wolves. They had barely realized what was happening, before the truck had run over three of them. One of the wolves -Jerry- jumped out of the way dropping his gun in the process. Jerry looked up from where he was lying and stared in fear, as the door to the driver side was kicked open. A pair of legs, jumped down and walked over towards him.

A pair of arms extended forwards, wrapped around Sasha's sniper rifle. Jerry was sure he was looking at a ghost.

Head tilted to side, staring down in fury, the face of Rick Grimes moved into the light as he stepped forward, stalking his prey like a hungry animal.

He did not have a W on his head. He did not look pale. He did not have a scratch around his throat, except for an imprint of a hand and a little bruising on his chin. Except for his shirt being soaked in blood, he looked absolutely healthy.

Rick stepped over the fallen wolf, and fired a single bullet straight at the W, on Jerry's head.

* * *

 **A/N: Bet you didn't see that coming, did you. This was always the PLAN! Don't believe me? Okay. As you all know, right at the beginning (in the summary section) I told you guys "** **A Richonne fic, set after the events of Season 5. The story will involve a re-telling of past events, along with the present timeline." So for the 1'st time, since I broke a lot of hearts and pissed off a lot of people because of the last chapter, I'm going to give you a little hint on how Rick is alive. Anyone remember Season 1 Episode 6 (that scene where Shane almost molested Laurie at the CDC) Here's the dialogue from the particular scene.**

S: I'm gonna tell you a few things And you're gonna listen to me.  
L: Now is not the time.  
S:Come on. When is it ever the time? How can you treat me like this?

L- You're kidding, right? - No.  
S: Huh-uh.  
L: Because you told me my husband was dead.  
S: I didn't lie to you, all right? I didn't.  
S:Do you know what it was like there?

L: Stop.  
S: Things were falling apart. They were slaughtering people in the hallways. It was a massacre. There were walkers everywhere.  
L- So you left him?

S- Everybody else ran. There were no doctors there. It was just me. He was hooked up to machines and I did not know what to do.  
 _I even took my ear and I put it on his chest And I listened for a heartbeat and I did not hear one._  
 _And I-I-I-I- I don't know why. Maybe it was gunfire. I don't know what it was, But there was no way he could've survived that._  
 _No way._

L - He did.

 ** _Interesting little thought right? That scene just kept coming back to me, every time I watched an episode of the TWD. When I started this fan fic, right around chapter 2, I knew Rick had to die._**

 ** _Still don't believe me? Fair enough. I gave you guys a clue way back in Chapter 6. It was one sentence, during Rick and Christina's conversation._**

 _You said, you were shot in the back, before all of this? Well, there is no visible scarring or marks._

 _ **You guys want Richonne fluff and drama, I covered all of that by chapter 8. This fic is aimed at something more - a real finite ending.**_

 _ **Don't get me wrong, it may get tough and difficult as we keep moving forward. Just because I gave you these hints, that doesn't mean things are going to happen the way you think it's going to happen. There is a certain logic (fictional, of course) within the story. No matter what happens, I will not go against that logic. Having said that, I AM AND WILL ALWAYS WILL BE A RICHONNE FAN.**_

 _ **On another note, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR READING THIS CHAPTER AND FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE IN SPITE, of the very painful chapter 14.**_


	16. Richonne, alive

**_Hello everybody. Before we begin, I just wanted to explain something - Some of you had sent me messages, asking why Chater 14 was called Richonne, strong - since Rick was dying. The name of every chapter is based off 'a dialogue' or a 'thought' shared by a character (in context to the general theme of the chapter.) Chapter 14 was about the strength of both Rick and Michonne - Her strength to walk away from him and his strength, to ask her, to let him go._**

 ** _Now, let's begin with the smallest chapter of this fic. (I'm sorry, there's been a lot going on that's been taking up most of my time. Will try to write a bigger chapter for the next update.)_**

 ** _This is chapter 16: Richonne, alive._**

* * *

 _"You're...gonna die..." Rick whispered and tried to reach for the machete that lay next to him, covered in leaves._

 _His entire arm felt numb, lying uselessly from his side. Rick willed himself to move his fingers, but they wouldn't move an inch._

 _Wilson looked at him, pleasantly curious wondering what he was talking about. "You were saying?"_

 _"You're never gonna find her. She's too smart for you."_

 _Wilson nodded in respect. "Okay...okay...NOW...YOU'RE gonna die..."_

 _He grabbed Rick by his hair and pulled his head towards him. Wilson pulled out his bowie knife and brought it closer to Rick's neck._

 _"If I find her, Rick, if she comes after us...I'll rape her, and then I'll make my men do it...and then...I'll make your SON do it. After all of that... I'll slash her throat, just like I'm about to do to you."_

 _Wilson stabbed Rick in the neck and slit his throat. Blood gushed out of his arteries as Rick's head slumped forward against his chest, until finally he was dead._

"n..uh.."He gasped for air, as he opened his eyes and stared into the darkness. For a few seconds, Rick's mind felt blank with fear as he pushed back against the tree. Eyes moving from side to side, Rick kept looking around him, expecting to be attacked at any moment.

Eventually, his breathing slowed down and realized he was alone. He focused on his surroundings, trying to see through the darkness listening to the chirping of insects.

Rick raised his head and looked at the sky above him wondering how had it become night so fast.

He turned over his left hand and looked at his watch - ' _7:00 PM - Nine hours? How?...'_

There was a sense of dejavu as he was reminded of the time he had woken up from his coma. Shane was standing over him with a bouquet of flowers. Rick opened his eyes, slightly disoriented, trying to say something funny to Shane "...I hope he left her that spoon collection" _._ He laughed at his own joke, and then everything hurt; coughing painfully he called out "Shane?...Shane...? _"_ He turned to his right and saw the flowers withering away in a vase, on the table next to him. Plucking away at the flowers, he turned to his left and looked at the clock. Both the hands were stuck on 2:17.

He got out of bed, struggling to stand up. It hurt all over. But more than the pain, he felt confused as he wondered _'Shane? Where are you_ _... weren't you just standing here a second ago...'_

Rick's mind was racing... _Wilson was standing over me. He pulled me by my hair and._..

Rick ran his right hand across his throat. The first thing he felt was dried blood; thickly coagulated and etched onto his skin. Scratching away at it, his fingertips brushed against the area where he had been stabbed. Except for a little tenderness, the skin felt compact and completely un-penetrated. He kept running his hands expecting to find a cut or an open wound, but all he could feel was his skin.

Rick tried to feel the gun shot wound; it was a through and through. The bullet had entered through the back and exited out his belly. Moving his hands to his back he patted around but couldn't feel anything. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and looked around his navel, but there wasn't even a hint of a scar.

Gingerly, he rose to his feet. He didn't feel any pain, it didn't hurt anywhere.

As he tried to make sense of what had happened, he recalled something Laurie had said after he had found her and Carl.

 _"Shane said you were dead. He put his ear against your chest and tried to listen for a heartbeat...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry we left..."_

 _Shh...it's okay okay.." Rick said_

Rick wiped the sweat off his face and ran his hands through his hair. And then his conversation with Christian came back to him, from a few weeks ago.

 _"So how does it look?" Rick asked quietly._

 _"A lot better, it looks like most of the cuts have dried up. You may still have some faint scarring, totally normal, and the bruising has gone down. You said, you were shot in the back, before all of this? Well, there is no visible scarring or marks. Aside from that, some of the bones around your waist, your abs and your ribs feel like they were broken a while ago?"_

Rick looked his upper torso again; the scar from the time Morgan had tried to stab him, the bones around his waist felt absolutely fine, all the bumps and bruises he had gained since waking up from his coma had completely disappeared.

His gun shot wound, it had hurt initially, after he had woken up from his coma. But then it stopped hurting, and then with everything he had to go through, he eventually forgot about it.

But something felt different - this time there was no pain! He wasn't struggling to walk and there were no signs of any kind of injury.

Physically, he felt absolutely fine. Mentally, he felt overwhelmed with all the questions in his head. The only thing he could think of, in both situations, he had not suffered any kind of trauma to his brain.

 _'Christina..she worked for the CDC. She might know what's going on. She might- WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? Michonne, Carl, Judy, everyone's back there. It doesn't matter how - I'm alive! All that matters is I get back to them as fast as I can._

He bent down and picked up the only weapon he had - The red-handled machete!

Hanging it by his side, Rick Grimes ran through the woods as fast as he could, back to Alexandria.

 _Michonne, where are you? Are you okay..._

...

 _ **A/N: I hope some of the hints here have given you a little more clarity on how Rick is alive. If not, don't worry. I will definitely go into detail as we go into further chapters. (On another note, this fic will have a definitive ending and IT'S NOT A DREAM (that's just lame!) And no THEY WON'T MEET IN HEAVEN (cause whether a heaven exists or not - as humans we are supposed to live our lives on earth. Go through happiness and sadness and every nasty kind of pain life can give you. If we are lucky enough to find and share it all with someone we love...when we close our eyes, die and finally drift away into the light...we'll know...it was all worth it.**_

 _ **And then...if we meet the people we love in heaven (or hell)...That's just another adventure...**_


	17. Richonne, 8 down one more

_**Hello my friends. Hope you are all doing good. I'm really sorry for taking this long. So many things going on right now that I couldn't finish this chapter any sooner. As always thanks for reading. I cross 50,000 words with this chapter!**_

 _ **Anyways, this is chapter 17: Richonne,**_ _ **8 down...one more..**._

 _ **Thank you severelybabykrptonite for your continued support.**_

* * *

It was late in the evening. The sun had barely set an hour ago. Hungry and thirsty, the residents of Alexandria had been begging for food and water for the last hour. The Wolves, gleefully, smiled at them as they munched on their snacks.

Rick's family were the only ones to hold out. They kept waiting patiently, hopefully, for a way out. Glenn wasn't worried about not eating, but Maggie was pregnant. He didn't know how long he could hold out on her, no matter how many times she assured him that she was fine.

The entrance gate was suddenly pulled open. Wilson headed out into the darkness, along with a group of four men, and the gate was shut behind them.

Four wolves stood in front of them, guns in their hands keeping watch. Glenn went back to staring at the ground and felt the time slip by as he kept thinking of a way out.

...

He watched from the darkness as two of the wolves cleaned out the remains of Corrie and Megan, stuck in between the tires of the truck. Rick's hand clasped around the handle of the machete, that hung from his side. He looked towards the watchtower; they were on the other side of the truck blocked from it's view. Rick knew he had to take them out as quickly and as quietly as possible.

"Did you hear that?" One of the wolves whispered to the other. She turned around and looked at surrounding trees behind them.

"Flesh-eaters?" The other wolf whispered back to her. He reached down and clenched the gun by his side.

"Dunno" The female wolf pulled out her knife and inched closer to get a better look.

She walked forward, squinting her eyes, trying to see through the darkness. The man stood a few feet behind with his back to the truck, gun in his hand, watching her.

"Probably an animal try-"

She heard a muffled yell behind her, and turned around. The man had fallen down on the ground clutching at his throat, bleeding profusely.

Hands shaking, she quickly reached for the gun behind her, as she stared fearfully into the face of the man who she had watched being butchered to death, right in front of her eyes, only a few hours ago.

Rick rushed forwards and swung the machete at her. It entered through the base of her skull and penetrated her brain, killing her instantly.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Rick pulled out the machete and pushed her lifeless corpse to the ground.

Drenched in the blood of the two wolves, he had just killed, Rick set his sights for the watchtower.

...

Looking over Alexandria, Tred felt a twinge of sadness as he thought of Maxinne. He gazed over her body that lay covered in a sheet, by the corner wall.

Taking a deep breath, he inched his six foot-four, two-fifty pound frame forwards, and rested the sniper rifle on the window sill. As he leaned forwards to look through the scope he suddenly had a feeling he was being watched.

Rick watched the larger man lean slightly to look out the scope of his rifle. He could feel his heart pounding deep inside his chest, as sweat dripped down the side of his face. Raising the machete over his head, Rick moved closer as quietly as he could.

With his hands on the rifle, Tred quickly turned his head around and saw a man drenched in blood standing behind him.

There was a flash of steel in the air, as Tred quickly swung the rifle around ready to fire.

Rick hurled the machete at him, as he swung around.

Swirling through the air, the blade lodged into the left side of his neck, causing him to yelp in pain.

As blood spluttered out, Tred to dropped his rifle and raised his hands to pull out the machete.

Rick rushed forwards reaching for the red handle. But Tred's large hands wrapped around Rick's neck and lifted him off his feet. Pushing him hard against the wall Tred's fingers clenched around Rick's neck as hard as he could, squeezing his wind pipe. With the machete still sticking out by the side of his neck, blood kept pumping out of Tred's open wound, as he applied more pressure around Rick's neck. Using his fingers Rick tried to pull apart his hands from around his neck, but the man was too strong. As he struggled to breathe, Rick stared into Tred's face - masked in anger and vengeance. His eyes seemed to be bulging out of his skull, with tears streaming down his face; from the pressure of choking Rick while losing so much blood.

Pressed hard against the wall, struggling to breathe, Rick desperately reached out for the machete. As his fingers clasped around the handle, Rick pulled it out and swung with all the force he could muster. Penetrating deeper into the open wound, Rick kept hacking away at Tred's neck until finally he had cut it off. Soon, Rick was bent over Tred's headless body, gasping for breathe.

Using the blood soaked machete to balance himself, Rick's blood shot eyes quickly surveyed his surroundings. After making sure he was alone, Rick got back up on his feet and picked up Sasha's sniper rifle. As he peered through the scope of the rifle, his heart sank as he saw the residents of Alexandria on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs.

He could feel himself shake as he anxiously looked for his family. There was a momentary sigh of relief as he saw Glenn, Maggie, Rosita, Tara, Abraham, Eugene, Christina and Morgan, and then panic set in. Michonne, Carl, Judith, Carol, Daryl... they were all missing. His face brushed against the hard surface of the gun, and felt the band-aid on his face.

As he recalled the events from earlier that morning, Rick peeled off the band-aid and tried to feel the cut. But once again, there was no cut, there was injury. His skin felt raw but completely clear.

As he looked back at Alexandria, he could only think of one place they could be - _the attic!_

With a new found purpose, Rick quickly averted his sights to the wolves inside the compound. He couldn't see Wilson, but there were a total of 9 of them inside. 1 at the gate, 4 stood in front of the bound hostages and then another 4; one at the corner of each wall.

Rick took a step back as he quickly looked at his options - If he took a shot at the one near the gate there was a good chance that he would miss, which would probably give away his position. The ones near the hostages were easier to shoot but they could react before he could put all four of them down. Either they could retaliate by threatening to kill one of them hostages or kill them, forcing him to show himself.

But the ones at the wall stood alone, guarding each corner. _" I can take them out quickly and quietly. And then..."_

Rick looked to his left, at the truck.

...

Four wolves stood in front of them, guns in their hands keeping watch. Glenn went back to staring at the ground and felt the time slip by as he kept thinking of a way out.

The sound of a vehicle and the gate being opened again, brought him back to the present.

A truck rolled in, enamored in solid steel. As soon as it passed through, the gates were shut immediately.

Then without warning, the engine roared and the truck rushed towards the four wolves. They had barely realized what was happening, before the truck had run over three of them. One of the wolves -Jerry- jumped out of the way dropping his gun in the process. Jerry looked up from where he was lying and stared in fear, as the door to the driver side was kicked open. A pair of legs, jumped down and walked over towards him.

A pair of arms extended forwards, wrapped around Sasha's sniper rifle. Jerry was sure he was looking at a ghost.

Head tilted to side, staring down in fury, the face of Rick Grimes moved into the light as he stepped forward, stalking his prey like a hungry animal.

He did not have a W on his head. He did not look pale. He did not have a scratch around his throat, except for an imprint of a hand and a little bruising on his chin. Except for his shirt being soaked in blood, he looked absolutely healthy.

Rick stepped over the fallen wolf, and fired a single bullet straight at the W, on Jerry's head.

He quickly turned and circled around the truck, ignoring the looks of relief and cries of his name from Glenn, Maggie, Morgan and Abraham, silently counting in his head

' _8 down...one more...'_

As the lone wolf, at the gate, rushed forwards with a gun in his hand, Rick unloaded the rest of the ammunition on him.

Rick turned back to a tumultuous cheer from the residents of Alexandria. He ran back to his family, quickly cut off Glenn's restraints.

As he handed over his machete and the gun to Glenn "Where were you? What happened? Wilson said...he said you..abandoned - YOU left US!"

Rick looked back at Glenn with an anxious expression "NO, I SWEAR! I was...trapped...help the others..I have to..."

He then ran to his house as fast as he could, slipping over the blood on the porch. As he pushed himself back, he stared back in fear unsure of whose blood it was. As he stepped through what remained of the front door, Rick immediately saw the shadow of a gun.

Before his assailant could fire, Rick crouched low and tackled him, hitting him in the chest with his shoulder.

The two men struggled together in the darkness, punching and clawing at each other. During the struggle, Rick felt the butt of gun against his chest. He quickly pushed it away, before it was fired. There were flashes of light, as the gun went off repeatedly.

The assailant kicked Rick in the gutt, pushing him on his back. As Rick raised his head, his assailant aimed the gun at his head, and pulled the trigger.

It clicked empty, as Rick jerked his head back expecting a bullet.

Abraham and Morgan rushed inside and tackled the assailant, immediately. As Rick watched them restrain him, he hear Morgan call out to Rick..."Sven...Wilson's right hand..."

But he wasn't listening. Back on his feet, Rick rushed into the kitchen and pulled back the table covering the attic door.

He held his breath, as he grabbed the handle and raised the door.

Carl, with his gun in hands, stood ready to fire. Upon seeing his Dad, Carl stood motionless for a few seconds before running out and hugging him as tight as he could.

"DAD! I thought you were... Michonne said you...what happened...are you hurt? why is there so much blood...DAD-"

"Hey...it's all right! I'm here." Rick comforted Carl, as he cried into his shirt. He hugged his son and kissed him on the top of his head.

Rick looked back eagerly for Michonne and saw Jessie exit the attic followed by her two sons. She was holding Judith in her arms, who seemed to be smiling at Rick.

He scooped the baby up and smiled at her; holding her close to his chest, he thanked every known God he could think of for re-uniting him with his children.

As he held his son and daughter together, Rick looked back at the attic, expectantly.

"Where's Michonne?" Carl asked through his tears.

Rick looked back at his son, with a look of surprise..."What do you mean...She...you said she...I thought she was with you..."

Carl shook his head "She WAS with us. But then she said she was going to try and help the others and then left..."

Rick crouched down on his knees and looked back at Carl "What do you mean left? What..."

He heard laughter from the hall across the kitchen. Rick turned back around and looked at the man who had tried to attack him.

Sven's face looked like he had been in a car accident. He was being held up by Abraham and Morgan, as he couldn't stand on his own.

Rick grabbed his blood stained machete and marched towards him.

Bleeding from his face and nose, Sven could barely open his puffy eye lids, as Rick held the machete threateningly against his throat.

"WHERE - IS - MICHONNE?"

Sven smirked back at Rick "You will NEVER.. see her, again."

* * *

 **A/N: Don't you just love cliffhangers...**


	18. Richonne, let me go

**Hello Everyone! I know it's been a while. Again this is a not so big chapter. Let's get started with Chapter 18: Richonne, let me go,**

 **Thank you VegasLover, Guest, Guest Saint and SeverleybabyKrytonite for your continued interest and reviews.**

 **Molly Ringwald, I didn't really understand what you were trying to say... But whatever it is, I request you to keep the matter to me (as I am writing this fan fic) My mentors are my friends (and I am proud of them and love the way they write) and I don't appreciate any comments against them. Nonetheless, thank you for reading.**

* * *

 **Nine hours ago...**

Michonne kept her forehead pressed against him. Her tears rolled down from eyes and into his face.

"Michonne...It's time. You gotta leave...take my belt. My gun's got two more bullets in it. Leave the machete by my side. Cover it with leaves. I'll try to get one of em' if they come my way. Go..."

"I can't...I can't. I'm sorry for all the things I said, earlier. I don't even care about any of it. Please...just let me stay...PLEASE...don't ask me to leave. I love you..."

"...then, let me go..."

Michonne clenched her teeth, and closed her eyes again. She brushed her face against his; feeling his skin and then kissed him one more time, pressing into his lips.

She unbuckled his belt and strapped it around herself. The gun hung on her right, from it's holster, while the red handled machete hung on her right. She picked up her sword and placed it's sheath, behind her.

Like he said, she laid the machete next to him, on his right and covered it with leaves. Michonne kept her focus on what she was doing rather than on him. Once she was done she stood back and kept her eyes lowered on his boots. Then, very quickly, before she could lose her nerve, she turned to her right and walked away.

Rick, like her, kept his eyes on her knees trying not to look at her. And then he saw them turn and walk away

Rick rested back his head and closed his eyes, as he let out a sigh of relief and sadness.

She kept walking, careful not to leave any tracks, and once she was far enough turned around and looked at Rick one more time.

From the distance it almost seemed like he was sleeping. Leaning back against the tree with his eyes shut, alone in the woods.

With her eyes on him, Michonne backed away until she couldn't see him anymore.

Finally, forcing herself to turn away, Michonne broke into a run and headed for the West wall.

Her chest felt like it was about to explode; she kept taking deep breaths and let the wind sweep into her burning eyes.

Michonne wanted to rip them out; she wanted to scream. She wanted to break her body, her mind, her very existence; anything that could take her mind off Rick. The mental image of him lying helpless in the woods, kept clawing the insides of her brain. The thought of him dying alone, was starting to suffocating her. She could have killed him, she should have killed him. But how could she; he was still alive, he was still willing to fight. He had asked her to leave the machete...

'YOU LEFT HIM!'

'He asked me to. There was no other way.'

'DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?'

...I..

'WELL, DO YOU?'

'...yes...'

'REALLY?'

'yes...'

'THEN WHY DO YOU FEEL GUILTY?'

It was starting to get loud, everything was just so loud.

 _"Michonne...It's time. You gotta leave..._

 _"I can't...I can't..._ _Please...just let me stay...PLEASE...don't ask me to leave. I love you..."_

 _"...then, let me go..."_

Her ears were ringing! She was running harder and faster; the serenity of the woods seemed to be closing in on her.

'YOU LEFT HIM ALONE, TO DIE!'

'STOP...STOP...STOP!'

Michonne came to an abrupt halt and stared ahead at the wall on the Western end of Alexandria. Panting hard, Michonne kept staring at it as she realized why she was there.

Everything had become silent again. There were no longer voices in her head, just clarity. Jump the wall and save her family; keep Carl and Judith safe.

Or run back to Rick, and be together for however long that would be.

...

"Where's Rick?" Glenn yelled back at Wilson.

"HEEEE LEFT! Ran away"

"BULL-FUCKING SHIT!" Abraham bellowed back at him.

Wilson exclaimed in frustration. "I assure you, it's not!"

"Rick wouldn't leave us. We are his FAMILY. He'll never abandon his family." Maggie spat out in rage.

He bowed his head back at her "I agree with you, ma'am, One hundred percent! Rick wouldn't abandon his family. So look around you... do you see his son? his baby?...Michonne?"

...

Michonne watched in silence as Wilson lied about Rick and herself to the captured residents of Alexandria. She didn't have any tears left as she saw the broken and defeated bodies of Carol and Daryl. She watched helplessly, hiding behind one of the houses, as Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, Rosita and Morgan argued with Wilson about Rick. They still believed in him; they still hoped for his return. A part of her wanted to walk out there and scream back the truth. But she didn't have the strength to reach back for her sword or Rick's gun and charge into battle. All she could do now was find Carl and Judith and keep them safe. And if they weren't out there, that means they were in the attic, back in the house.

She quickly turned around and looked to her side. Rick was right about the houses on the West end, they were bigger than the rest. It had provided adequate cover for her, allowing her to enter without being spotted by the sniper. She looked back at Wilson, him and the rest of the wolves were busy with the rest of the hostages.

...

"Thank you, Olivia. I'll take it from here.' Wilson cleared his throat. "So we caught up with the four of them. Corrie and Megan pulled their guns on us. So we killed them -"

There was a collective shudder, as people stared at Wilson's casual remark, in shock.

"Yeah I know, terrible right? Where was I - yeah - we pulled a gun on Michonne, Rick tried his tough guy act... and then whimpered like a bitch "PLEEEASEE...let her go...I'll do anythin. We then struck a deal. He told us about this place; your people, your resources.'"

Sven continued "We came back here, got his kids out first. Then captured Olivia."

Abraham shook his head "Do you know how stupid all of that sounds? Do you really think we're just gonna swallow all that shit you're trying to shove down our throats? I guess if you're stupid enough to carve a W into your forehead.. your stupid enough to think that we're stupid enough to believe you."

"STUPID? okay SHERLOCK...how do you think we know their names? Rick...Michonne...how do you think - us being STUPID and all - know that Rick and Michonne are together? How did we know about the kids? HUH?"

Abraham shrugged at Sven "Doesn't mean we believe you. Rick wouldn't just walk away. I know he'll do anything for his kids...we all know that. I had a family once...I know I'd have done anything for them. Rick is a father, he is not different. But he wouldn't abandon us, no way! He ain't that kind of man."

Tears ran down Glenn's face "IS HE DEAD? TELL US THE TRUTH."

...

"MICHONNE!" Carl called out in relief. He put back his gun in his holster, and moved aside allowing her to squeeze in. Making sure to pull the rug over the open door, Michonne shut it tight behind her. She felt Carl's hands tightly wrap around her waist. "Where were you? Do you know what is going on?"

Michonne hugged him back and then without warning, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She surveyed the people behind him through her tears.

Jessie was holding Judith, who was starting to look annoyed. Behind her, her two sons holding flash lights.

"Where's Rick?"

...

* * *

 **A/N: Not much of a cliffhanger huh? Don't worry we are getting closer.**


	19. Richonne, I'll try again tomorrow

**_Hello everybody. Hope you are all doing really well. I was away for a while, due to personal reasons. But now I'm back and here's_**

 ** _Chapter 19: Rich_** _ **onne** **,** **I'll try again tomorrow (PS: It's a long chapter)**. **Wish you all a fun-filled and a happy weekend!**_

* * *

"MICHONNE!" Carl called out in relief. He put back his gun in his holster, and moved aside allowing her to squeeze in. Making sure to pull the rug over the open door, Michonne shut it tight behind her. She felt Carl's hands tightly wrap around her waist. "Where were you? Do you know what is going on?"

Michonne hugged him back and then without warning, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She surveyed the people behind him through her tears.

Jessie was holding Judith, who was starting to look annoyed. Behind her, her two sons holding flash lights.

"Where's Rick?"

...

"Think of this as a...hazing process. An initiation - the first step towards becoming a 'WOLF'."

Wilson stepped back and joined Sven "Check every house...every damn room, again. Rick's son, the baby, the blonde girl, if they are hiding here somewhere I want them found. Don't kill them here. Take them out to the woods and finish them. Then bury their bodies."

I need to convince these people everything I said is true. If they see one of them alive then it's all OVER! We'll have no choice but to kill them. I need these people, I mean did you hear the way they were talking about Rick! That kind of loyalty, in this kind of world - we need that. AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE STRONG! Did you hear the things they had go through? SHIT! The rest of these fuckers are a waste. But we'll need workers, busy bodies, errand boys...This place has more to offer than Shirewilt Estates. You know we had to kill them. We couldn't get them to trust us, because of stupid mistakes. We can't repeat those here. "

"The first step towards building loyalty, is to make people think that you are honest with them. Then we earn their trust, then their respect and then...their ours."

Sven replied back "Is that what you did with us?"

"Yes, but not to you. If there's one person I've completely been honest with, it's you. You're my friend. Everyone else is expendable."

...

Michonne continued staring at Jessie, through her blood shot eyes.

"Where's Rick" Jessie asked again.

Internally, Michonne struggled with her feelings as she stared at Jessie. The idea of another woman crying over Rick, as his lover, infuriated her.

 _'Stop crying, you don't get to that! Just stop. You don't get to cry over him..he was mine...he..'_

 _'...he and you_ _were...together! Rick, you bastard!... Alright, I'll be gentle with her. I hold her hand and comfort her. I'll look out for Jessie and her kids. Don't worry, I'll do right by her. I'm sorry I called you a bastard. I love you...'_

Carl stepped back from Michonne and looked into her face, too scared to ask her.

"He's..." Michonne's lips quivered while her lungs felt constricted. "I..."

And just like Carol, Carl asked her to "...say it!"

"He was shot...he lost a lot of blood...and...he asked me to leave him.."

"You mean...he's out there...and you just..LEFT HIM?" Carl shouted out indignantly.

Tears streamed down his face "You left my Dad to die, alone?"

Michonne stared back through her own tears. "Carl...Wilson...there were people after us.. It was the only way-

"YOU COULD ESCAPE?" Carl stepped forward and stared up at Michonne, with a look of disgust. "Where is he?"

"Carl...just listen to me..."

"NO! JUST TELL ME WHERE HE IS, AND I'll go get him."

"No, Carl..."

"Just tell me this wasn't about some stupid fight this morning...something about..." he turned around and looked at Jessie.

"NO, CARL! HOW COULD YOU EVEN- you have to listen to me"

"I DON'T HAVE TO DO SHIT! YOU'RE NOT MY MOM! AND YOU LEFT MY DAD! YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO"

Carl pulled out his gun, with shaky hands. "Tell me where he is, NOW!"

Michonne stood speechless, in front of Carl. She felt hurt more than shocked. After everything she had been through, was this why she was spared by death, she wondered.

"Carl, put the gun down."

"YOU THINK I'M SCARED OF YOU" Carl yelled at Michonne through his tears. "YOU THINK I CAN'T PULL THE TRIGGER?"

"Yes, you can. But you won't. Now, put the gun down..."

Carl licked his lips nervously and then slowly holstered his weapon. He then used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Michonne stared into them and saw resentment etched in them. "You're right, I am not your mom. And I left your dad out there. But I came back for you and your sister, not because I was trying to escape. But because he didn't want you and Judith growing up alone in this world. And I...all I have now is you two."

She walked towards Carl, and he turned his face away unable to look at her.

Michonne fell on her knees to look into his face. "I woke up today morning and it started of as one of the best days of my life. I told your father that I was in love in with him, and then he said it back to me. And then later on...I found out...I was always in love with him, since I was 18 years old. There was this party..and we were supposed to meet, but it didn't happen. And now...walking away...leaving him alone out there...was one of the most difficult things I had to in my life."

Carl turned his head to face Michonne. Her eyes seemed hollow, her face looked fatigued.

"I wanted to die with him...I wanted to...but then we thought about you and Judy and everyone else. I love him, Carl. I love him."

Michonne raised her hands and placed it on Carl's shoulders

"And you are his son; whether you see me as your mother or not, it doesn't matter! Cause from now on, you ARE MY son and Judy is MY daughter. And nothing can change that."

Carl lowered his head in shame, and weeped in silence. After a brief moment, he stepped forwards and placed his head on her left shoulder, as he hugged her. Michonne hugged him back as warmly as she could, caressing the back of his head and as he cried in to her grey T-shirt, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry".

Footsteps sounded from above. Michonne quickly stood up and signaled to turn off the flash lights. The attic stood in darkness, except for the light coming in from the small gaps in between the floor boards.

...

Sven and two other wolves stood in the living room and surveyed the surroundings. He signaled the other two to head upstairs while he decided to search the ground floor. And then from somewhere, he heard a faint cry of a baby.

...

Jessie rocked the baby in her arms, pleading with Judith to remain silent. Michonne quickly moved towards Jessie and scooped the baby from her arms. Turning around, she pulled down her T-shirt from her left shoulder and then her bra.

Judith sucked on her nipples, while placing her small hands on her breasts. It was obvious that she was hungry, but Michonne had no milk to give. She closed her eyes and rubbed her back softly trying to calm the baby down.

...

Sven entered the kitchen and looked around carefully. Nothing seemed out of order. He walked closer to the kitchen table. His eyes lingered over two plates of food and a baby's feeding bottle. He proceeded to check the back door and saw that it was unlocked.

...

His shadow danced past them, as Sven walked towards the back door. Underneath the kitchen floor, Michonne could feel tension, as all of them held their breaths, waiting for him and the rest of the wolves to leave. With her eyes on the threat above them, Michonne silently rocked the baby using her left arm, while she placed her right hand on the Colt Python that hung from her side.

Judith continued to suck on her nipple, as if it was a pacifier, as she snuggled closer to the warmth of Michonne's chest. She felt the baby's mouth on her, as sweat trickled down her face.

It seemed to take forever, until finally they heard the wolves leave.

"Wait" Michonne whispered, as Jessie reached for the flashlight. They waited five more minutes, making sure they were completely alone, until Jessie turned on the flashlight again.

Michonne puled back her shirt over her chest and then whispered to Carl "We need food, if we are going to stay down here. Take her, but be quiet, I think she's fallen asleep. I'll sneak out and grab some food from the kitchen."

Carl shook his head back at Michonne "No, she needs you. I'll get the food."

"Carl.."

"Michonne, I can do this. Trust me!"

She looked towards the determined face of the young man in front of her, and then look towards the sleeping baby in her arms. "Jessie, can you-"

"Michonne, it's okay. You're better with her than me. Judith feels safer with you."

Carl nodded back at Michonne and then pulled out his gun. He then moved underneath the door of the attic and opened it.

...

With her back against the wall, and Judith in her arms, Michonne recounted the events of the morning as she fed the baby. She told everything that had happened from the moment they were ambushed, to Rick fighting back, how they were attacked again and finally her seeing Carol, Sasha and Daryl's dead bodies. As soon as she finished, she felt thoroughly fatigued. She hadn't realized how tired she was until that very moment. Carl and Jessie explained what had happened inside Alexandria as Michonne rested. There was a sense of foreboding as they sat in small attic, each absorbed in his/her own sorrows.

Finally, Carl convinced Michonne to eat some food; he force-fed her, using a spoon, some of the oatmeal cereal he was having for breakfast. Although she said no at first, she felt immensely grateful when she chewed and swallowed down on her first meal of the day. After a few mouthfuls, she felt immediately guilty as she thought of everyone else outside. Carl sat down next to her and leaned his head against her shoulder and soon he dozed off, just as Judith who lay silently asleep in her arms. Maybe it was the food, or the exhaustion, Michonne shut her eyes briefly and soon fell asleep.

...

Michonne sat at a familiar bar sipping on a glass of scotch, when a man walked in dressed in a sheriff's uniform.

"Is this seat taken?" The officer inquired politely.

She smiled at Rick Grimes, who was wearing a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, sans his hat.

"That depends...are you trying to hit on me?" she inquired back.

"Only if you want me to!" Rick stated playfully.

"Okay...but what if I don't like you?"

"...Then I will try again, tomorrow.."

THUD THUD THUD Michonne turned around at the sound of footsteps behind her. It was the bartender, walking towards another customer in a wheel chair - an old woman in her late 80's.

She turned back around to look at Rick, but he was gone.

"Pardon me ma'am...but she asked if you'd like to join her..." The bartender pointed towards the old woman who smiled at her warmly.

Michonne craned her neck backwards to look at her, and then raised her hand and waved. She picked up her scotch and walk towards the table. "would you like some company?" Michonne asked with a smile.

"Yes, but only for a little while...I'm expecting someone..." She blushed as soon as she said it.

"Oh!" Michonne teased her as she sat down, on the seat opposite to the old lady.

"Yes..." the old woman told her excitedly. "We met in this bar 40 years ago. I still remember like it was yesterday. An entire day of blissful happiness."

The front door opened suddenly, and the old woman looked up expectantly. Her face fell as she saw it was someone else. She went back to her drink silently.

"But then something happened...and I never saw him again. I've been coming to this bar, every day since then...he promised he would come back...so at the end of each day...I promise my self that _I'll try again tomorrow._ "

"There was a shooting...he died in your arms...it happened the same day you met him. Don't you remember?" Michonne whispered softly to the old woman.

The old woman looked towards the seat, opposite to her, in a confused expression. But there was no one there.

Michonne looked around the familiar bar, smiling as she recalled the only memory she could remember. He had looked so handsome. He was so polite and charming. They had spent most of the day together. It was a beautiful day.

With a smile on her face, her frail old hands reached for the glass of scotch and sipped on it slowly. She heard the door open again, and raised her head to look at who it was. Her weary old eyes searched for him, eagerly, as they had for the last 40 years.

Michonne opened her eyes slowly as her consciousness absorbed her present scenario. She blinked several times and looked around the attic, as her mind kept recalling the bar from the dream she just had.

She felt an overwhelming sense of depression as she rubbed her eyes. She rested her back against the wall holding Judith closer to her chest. Judith smiled at her, as her soft hands reached for her face. Michonne kissed her softly and held her closer. She then looked towards Carl, who lay asleep by her side.

Michonne then looked towards the other end of the attic where Jessie's sons lay asleep next to her, on either sides. She knew what she had to do, she just hoped she had the strength left to do it. Making sure not to wake up Carl, Michonne raised herself up, still holding Judith in her arms, and then walked towards her.

Sitting down in front of her "Hey, Jessie..."

She looked at Michonne with a somber expression.

"I..." Michonne exhaled deeply before continuing "I know about you and... RR-Rick...I'm sorry about-"

"Michonne stop! nothing ever happened between me and Rick. I know what happened today morning..I know about the fight."

Tentatively, Jessie reached out and gripped Michonne by her elbows. "Rick came to see me today morning, right after your fight. He came to my house to return my...dress. Rick was in love with you...he was always in love with you. I don't want you to think..." Jessie bit down on her lips as she wondered what to say.

"I tried to seduce him...I thought I could have him.

Jessie explained what had happened; what she had tried to do and how her night gown had ended up in his closet. "I thought he wanted me..I wanted him, in my life and him in mine. I'm so sorry, Michonne. I'm so very sorry for coming in between you two. I swear it was never my intention to hurt you-""

"SHUT...UP! JUST- SHUT...UP!" Michonne whispered to her, punctuating each word. "Do you have any idea what you did..to us? Do you KNOW WHAT he had to go through?..DO YOU?"

Jessie flinched in fear as Michonne snapped at her.

Michonne feelings wavered between anger and guilt, as she stared at the woman in front of her. Her immediate thought was to berate her for everything that had happened. Their fight, Michonne decision to leave, Rick following her outside and then the ambush. It was all her! it was all her fault...It was all...

 _"Rick, tell me the truth. There's a woman's night gown in there. Who's is it?"_

 _"It's.. Jessie's" Rick said quietly._

 _"Michonne, please...you've got to hear me out. Jessie was here one night ago and..."_

 _"I don't love her, Michonne. I love you!"_

 _"For Christ's sake Michonne, don't be like this. JUST HEAR ME OUT! YOU SAID...YOU SAID YOU LOVE ME!"_

His voice rang in her ears like a painful remainder. She cursed herself for ignoring his attempts at explaining himself. What if she had stopped and waited for him to explain? what if she hadn't walked out of his room? What if... She closed her eyes and felt completely empty.

She didn't how long she stood there like that, but Michonne finally opened her eyes and looked at Jessie for a minute, two of her sons lay asleep on either side as Jessie looked back at her nervously. Shifting Judith's weight on to her left arm, Michonne reached out her right hand and enclosed her fingers around Jessie's hand. "It's not your fault...it's not you..."

She stopped speaking and shook her head, unable to continue.

"He told me how he felt about you...

Michonne raised her head to look at Jessie again.

"Just before he left my house, he said..."

 _"I've changed a lot over the last two years. I had become the things that I had done. Every day, since I got here, I'd look at my reflection and all I could see was an empty shell staring back at me. I was ashamed of what I had become. I thought I needed something - someone - who reminded me of WHO I WAS. But over the last few weeks I'd wake up, wash my face and feel excited about starting the day. I'd take a shower... put on a clean shirt, tuck it in my pants, comb my hair, and check my reflection in the mirror... 'cause I wanna look my best before leaving my room. I've stopped thinkin' about the things I've done and I have started looking forward to what I want to do next."_

 _"I feel those things… because... I'm...I'm in love...with Michonne. She gives me hope for the future; she inspires me to do my very best. She kicks my ass when I step outta line. She makes me think about...a future... together. Every time I see her...I..."_

 _"...I feel happy."_

...

"No! No!...you can't do this!"

Michonne sighed deeply as Carl argued with her as he held on to Judith.

"It's almost dark outside, what are you going to do? They are all still out there...you can't do this by your self!" Carl asked her again

"You're not coming with me, Carl. You need to be here for Judith."

"That's what Carol said and then she...she just...she went after them and got herself killed! Do you think I can just sit back here knowing all of you are out there - fighting to protecting us. My dad's gone, so is Daryl, Carol and Sasha."

"You, Judith and every one else out there are all that I have. And you just expect me to just sit back here? I want to fight, I want to avenge my Dad and everyone else they killed. I want to help rescue the others. They are my family too. I've know Glenn and Maggie longer than you have." Carl argued back vehemently.

Michonne continued ignore Carl, as she buckled the belt with Rick's gun around her waist.

Carl felt rush of anger flow through his entire body as he stared at Michonne.

"You're doing what Carol did, aren't you? After Jessie told us they killed Daryl, Carol stepped out and got herself killed...that's what you're doing...they killed my dad and you want-"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK OF US? YOU THINK CAROL DID WHAT SHE DID BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T FEEL STRONG ENOUGH TO GO ON? Is that what you think of me?"

The expression on Carl's face softened, as Michonne looked at him in sadness.

"This world...with everything that's going on...we all have a place in it. A role that we have to fulfill in order to stay alive. Your Dad was the leader, because he knew that he was the last man standing between us and the rest of the world. That...was his role. And he knew that we were there to take his place, if he were to fall..."

"Each of us knew that...understood that...Carol knew that. She did what she did FOR US. Going out there..firing at all of them...making a ruckus...was her attempt at warning us...to save us!"

"They day your sister was born, you were given a role too - her protector. Because Carl, when we are all gone, you are what stands between her and the rest of the world."

"Our family is out there, and it's my role to go out there and save them - BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOUR FATHER WOULD DO! That's what Daryl would have done or Sasha... and that is what Carol tried to do. This isn't about revenge! This about protecting us and the people we love. That's something we learned from your father. That's why he wanted me to stop going after the governor, when we were in the prison. He knew I was doing it because I wanted revenge."

"His way was to keep us safe, and to eliminate any threat that got in the way of that. NOT OUT OF SPITE! AND NOT FOR POWER!. It would have been easy for him to become a governor or ...a Shane."

Carl clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on the floor.

"Carl...come here."

Carl, stood his ground pretending he hadn't heard her.

"Please..."

Sighing, he walked towards her with Judith in his arms.

Michonne kissed him on the top of his head, as a tear rolled down his cheek. She then picked up Judith and kissed her.

As soon as she turned around, she felt his hands around her waist, crying deeply into her back. "I don't want you to go...I'm sorry about everything I said...please Michonne..."

She wiped his tears with one hand, and then handed over Judith to him. "I'll be back...I promise." She looked towards Jessie and her kids and nodded at them.

Carl looked up at her in a somber expression, having finally accepted his role. "So, what's the plan?"

"The watch tower - it gives me the best vantage point. I can take them out, one by one. They won't know what hit 'em."

"I can't get all of you out of here. They have a sniper out there, keeping an eye on the entire town. Now that it's dark, I think I can get to the West wall undetected. Once I get there I'm safe, the houses over there are larger, the sniper won't be able to spot me. I can get over it, and then...the watch tower. It's just one guy."

"After everything is over, I will come back for you...all of you."

Michonne felt nervous as she explained her plan. But she kept a brave face for Carl, and feigned a smile of confidence.

She opened the door from attic, carefully, and surveyed her surroundings. The entire house was dark, while she heard noises from out side. Slowly, she moved over the rug and stepped out. Before, she could shut the door, Carl appeared underneath it, with Judith in his arms, and looked up at her.

She raised her hand in farewell to the both of them, and then shut the door.

...

With a Walkie in his hand, and a amused expression on his face, Wilson walked towards the West Wall in response to the message relayed from his men.

"O - M - Jesus! She roughed up the three of you?"

Wilson stood with his hands on his hips, observing the people in front of him.

"So, in spite of everything...she still wanted to sneak in here-

"Sir, she didn't jump over the wall and get inside. She was trying to get out, from the inside. If it weren't for Seth, who was covering this part of the wall, we wouldn't have seen her."

Wilson eyes flashed in anger "WHAT? FROM THE INSIDE?"

He turned towards the woman on her knees. Michonne's hands were bound behind her back, as well as her legs. She raised her head to look at him, flexing her mouth wide, to pull apart the piece of cloth tied around her mouth.

"Where were you hiding, inside, all this time? Who else is here? " Wilson asked quietly.

"Sven...did you check the houses like I said? ALL THE HOUSES?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Then where was she hiding? HUH?"

Sven stared back apologetically.

"Take her outside the walls...carry her out. Make sure no one sees her."

Sven protested "Why? why can't we just kill her and be done with it."

"I told you, I need these people to trust me. After what we told them this morning, what do you think is going to happen if they see her, or anyone else who's hiding here. I'm thinking it's Rick children and that blonde woman.. Jessie something. We need to find out who and where, and then..we can kill her."

He looked around him, at the three men Michonne had managed to beat up, in spite of being over powered by them. "You three and you" he pointed to another wolf. "The five of us are going to go out and have a conversation with Michonne."

"Sven, you stay here and keep an eye on things."

Sven was absorbed in his own thoughts, as he tried to remember the houses he had checked. He recalled walking into a kitchen and see a baby's feeding bottle. He turned to his right and looked at the house from the distance.

Wilson bent over and brought his face closer to Michonne "I know you're tough! But you're just a woman. As a man, I just have to destroy that false sense of security you have, as a woman. In other words, I am going to forcefully stick things in you in places that are going to hurt, unless you tell me what I need to know."

Michonne looked back at him coldly, unaffected by his threat.

"Okay..you think about what I just said. 'Cause I don't give second chances."

The three of them picked her up, horizontally, in their arms and walked towards the gates. Michonne struggled against her bounds, trying desperately, as she was carried towards the main gate.

...

It was late in the evening. The sun had barely set an hour ago. Hungry and thirsty, the residents of Alexandria had been begging for food and water for the last hour. The Wolves, gleefully, smiled at them as they munched on their snacks.

Rick's family were the only ones to hold out. They kept waiting patiently, hopefully, for a way out. Glenn wasn't worried about not eating, but Maggie was pregnant. He didn't know how long he could hold out on her, no matter how many times she assured him that she was fine.

The entrance gate was suddenly pulled open. Wilson headed out into the darkness, along with a group of four men, and the gate was shut behind them.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Michonne... hang in there...Rick's on his way.**_


	20. Richonne, where is she

**A big hello and welcome to all my friends! Thank you for your messages and wishes. Hope all of you are doing well. So SEASON 6 is upon US! I loved the first episode -First Time Again. It had a cinematic feel to it. I also liked the black and white cuts. It had a film noir effect, Points to the makers! The episode was exciting, tense, bad ass and funny (PEANUT BUTTER POWER BAR! HA HA...)**

 **Was kinda worried that there weren't going to be any Richonne moments. Until they sneaked in that scene with Morgan and Rick talking on the porch, with Michonne observing Rick handing over Judith to Morgan. Okay technically it wasn't an exact RICHONNE MOMENT - but SCOTT GIMPLE (you sly dog) I see what you did there. You sneaked in a little moment, just when we were least expecting it.**

 **Now let me begin chapter 20: 'Richonne, where is she'. Rated M for "disturbing scenarios". This might be a little hard on some of you. I had a difficult time writing it. If anyone feels offended or hurt by some of the content, just want you to know right now that wasn't my intention.**

* * *

Bleeding from his face and nose, Sven could barely open his puffy eye lids, as Rick held the machete threateningly against his throat.

"WHERE - IS - MICHONNE?"

Sven smirked back at Rick "You will NEVER.. see her, again."

"Where is she? where is she?..."

Rick kept repeating the question, as his fingers gripped the fabric of Sven's shirt and pulled him closer.

"Wilson said you were dead...he said he cut your throat."

Rick stared back at him, as if he didn't understand the question. "Where's Michonne...does Wilson have her?"

"TELL ME, YOU FUCK!" He spat in seething rage, as he pushed Sven back against the wall. A dull thud echoed around the living room, as he hit his head and fell to floor.

"You do anything to me, and you'll never find out." Sven whimpered out in pain.

"Dad" Carl spoke from behind them, "Michonne said she was going to try and help the others. She said she was going for the watch tower...and.."

"Yeah? Well she never made it to the watch tower. She didn't even make it across the wall." Sven said mockingly.

Rick placed his boot on his groin, Sven clenched his teeth in pain and instinctively placed his hands around Rick's feet.

Leaning in, Rick stared down at Sven in rage. "You're gonna tell me everything...

As he stared upwards at Rick, he briefly thought he was staring into the face of the devil.

...

Michonne lay against mud with her hands bound to her feet, behind her back. Wilson kept his eyes on her, whilst playing with the Colt Python - twirling it with his index finger.

Placing her sword next to him he leaned back against a large tree, as his eyes wandered over Michonne's body. He could almost feel a slight stirring in his pants, as he chuckled to himself.

A few feet away, the rest of the four wolves kept digging into the ground.

Silently, Michonne struggled against her ropes, twisting and turning her wrists, trying to untie them.

"Did you really think you could take us? ALL OF US...with a sword and a gun with two bullets?" Wilson teased her, as he holstered the gun and walked towards her.

Michonne gave him a steely eyed glance, as he neared her.

Squatting down next to her, Wilson placed his elbows on his knees and intertwined his fingers together "Now, I know that you know that I am going to kill you. And for the last two years, we've all been expecting death to happen at an. So, I know that you know that doesn't scare you! But 'how' I'm going to kill you...well..I know and you know THAT can be scary."

"Michonne, I know you're tough, I know you're faithful and loyal to Rick (God rest his soul) But here's what it is - I've taken over! His people...that community..is mine! Nothing is gonna change that. And you and Rick's children...are just going to get in the way of that."

Michonne remained resilient as ever, staring back at him in contempt.

"If you tell me where they are...where you were hiding, I swear I'll end it quick. You've gone through hell today. You lost a lot of your friends. You had to leave the man you love behind, as he died like a wounded animal, alone in the woods. I can understand what you must have gone through. I was in love once...I lost her to someone else. So I can understand the pain. Don't you want it to end? All you have to do is tell me where they are. A bullet to the head or poison...whatever it is, you can choose! You, Rick and his kids - all of you happily ever after in the after life! Doesn't that sound beautiful? I can give you that. All of this pain and suffering...it can end."

Michonne closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Wilson observed her quietly, patiently waiting for her to break.

"Wilson..."

"Yes, Michonne"

She paused briefly, contemplating what was going to happen next, and then smiled as she thought of what Rick had said earlier in the day.

"You're so full of shit!"

...

Rick ran out of the house like a mad man; his heart thumping in pain, his mind replaying scary visions of Michonne over and over again. Sven's confession wasn't easy. It had taken time and effort, but he had left him alive.

Rick stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the pile of bodies out on one of the lawns, by the side of another house. He stared in shock and guilt at the bodies of Daryl and Carol, causing him briefly to stop thinking about Michonne.

The rest of Alexandira had gathered weapons and surrounded him, waiting for his instructions. The attack of the Wolves had clearly changing their perspective on the what they had to do, to survive and keep their loved ones safe.

"Rick" Abraham's voice sounded from afar. He turned around and looked at him.

"We're coming with you-all of us..Rick?...RICK..."

 _"I didn't know what they were...I thought..."_

 _"It's not you Daryl...hey! It's not on you."_

 _"You're my brother."_

"NO! Some of you are going to stay back here. Protect this place." Rick replied back to Abraham.

"Okay...but where do we look?"

"Daryl...he taught me how to track...I can find them. We'll need a flashlight."

 _Daryl stepped forward, into the light and stared around him at the Marauders and then at Joe._

 _"These people...these are good people."_

"You want blood?" _He dropped his cross bow and raised both his hands, and spread them out in surrender._

 _He spoke without fear or doubt "...take it from me man.."_

"Rick..." Abraham placed his hand on Rick's shoulder.

He lowered his head and covered his face in his hands, as he struggled to focus.

After a brief pause, he raised back his head and looked back at Abraham.

"You, Glenn, Morgan and Rosita.. you guys come with me. Aaron, you and Eric will cover the watch tower. This way you can watch over the entire town, and keep an eye on us as well. The rest of you, will stay back here and wait for us." Rick nodded back at the rest of the people of Alexandria. "If any one but us, walk in through those gates, you shoot 'em dead!"

Abraham handed over a Glock 67 to Rick, while he hung Carol's machine gun by his right shoulder. Glenn and Morgan picked up their own weapons, and stood ready for Rick.

Maggie rushed forwards and hugged Glen. "Please come back to me." She placed his hand on her belly..."for the both of us." Glenn kissed her. "I will."

"Kill him, Dad! And bring back Michonne."

Rick stared back at Carl, who was holding Judith in his arms. ' _Michonne...hold on. I'm coming...please..please...'_

Having secured his machete by his side. Rick's turned around and his eyes fell back on Carol's body.

 _"Did you do that?"_

 _Carol shrugged her shoulders, as her face looked back at him in a mixture of sadness and happiness._

 _Rick stepped forward and hugged her warmly, "Thank you"._

He wiped his eyes and tuned back at Abraham "Let's go."

As he made his way to the gates he looked back at his children, who were alive and well, in spite of everything that had happened.

He looked back at Carol's body one more time _'You did that. You saved them... I'm sorry I couldn't do that for you. I'm sorry about Sophia. I'm sorry about...Daryl. I wish...Thank you.'_

With Glenn, Abraham, Morgan and Rosita following him, Rick raced out the gates of Alexandria for the second time that day, to find Michonne.

...

Michonne closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Wilson observed her quietly, patiently waiting for her to break.

"Wilson..."

"Yes, Michonne"

She paused briefly, contemplating what was going to happen next, and then smiled as she thought of what Rick had said earlier in the day.

"You're so full of shit!"

Wilson smiled at her, in amusement. He reached across and grabbed her roughly by front of her T-shirt and then dragged her towards the ditch. His fingers were tightly enclosed are around the cloth, tearing them slightly as he pulled on them harder. Wilson was bent over her, walking backwards, as her T-shirt slid upwards. He felt himself get hard as his eyes wandered over her exposed navel, until he turned back to check how close they were to the ditch.

The other four wolves moved aside, to give him room. Coming to a halt, just before the ditch, Wilson almost lifted her up as he pulled on her T-shirt. The cloth gave away, tearing the front of her T-shirt, as she landed on her back. Five pairs of eyes glanced at her exposed torso, staring at her cleavage and the shape of her breasts, through the thin white bra she was wearing.

She could feel her whole body shaking. Her heart thumped louder and faster, against her chest. She closed her eyes as she mentally prepared herself.

Wilson threw aside the fabric of her cloth, in his hands, and spoke to her in contempt. "You ready for this, bitch? I gave you a chance...but you want to be tough. OKAY! That's fine by me. We're going to strip you bare naked, not just clothes but your flesh and your soul. You're gonna beg me to end it. But I won't! This is going to be long, slow and painful, and after we're done...I'm going to bury you alive."

He lowered himself on top of her and rubbed his face against hers. "Did Rick do this?"

His hands grabbed at her breasts roughly, "how about this..." and then reached down and grabbed her by the crotch. His fingers rubbed into the fabric of her pants.

Wilson's mouth bit into her breasts and traced his mouth down her skin, moving towards her bra, ready to tear it off with his mouth. Michonne jerked her body as she tried to push him off her. But his stocky frame fell into her, crushing her underneath his weight.

"COME ON BITCH! JUST THINK OF RICK, YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS."

Her skin felt like it was being peeled off as his hands explored her body. She felt the pangs of humiliation and shame, seep into her. Her body retracted in repulsion, as her mind willed her self to stay angry. As his face got closer, Michonne bit into his cheek.

"AHHH!" Wilson punched her underneath her jaw, right into her neck. Michonne gasped, instinctively, causing her to let go of his cheek.

He raised himself up, using his left arm, and then punched her in the face. Her entire head jerked to the right, as his fist made contact with the side of her jaw. A tiny gash formed around the area of her skin, where his hard knuckles had hit her. He raised his hands and hit her again, this time around her left eye.

For a few seconds, Michonne lost consciousness as her head jerked to the right again. Wilson raised himself up and looked at her in disdain.

He raised his right leg and stomped down on the side of her face, cracking her cheek bones, caving it inwards.

Michonne could barely raise her head, as she lay there in silence. Disoriented and in pain, Michonne's vision looked blurry as she tried to focus on what was happening.

"What you waiting for? Wilson spat at the four men who were watching.

You wanted pussy, right? well there you go. Warm her up for me."

He took a few steps forwards, as he tenderly touched his right cheek. His fingers grazed over the bite marks, wiping the blood from them.

The four of the wolves stepped forwards, surrounding her from all sides. They lowered themselves ready to begin.

Two of them, held her down by her head and her feet. Her breathing became faster as she quickly realized what was happening. Feigning unconscious, she peeked through the injured side of her face, past the large set of hands that were holding her head down to right.

The other two sat on their knees on either side. She saw the one on the right, move his hands towards her breasts and squeeze them. And then she felt another set of hands unhooking the catch of her pants.

For the last hour, Michonne had been trying to untie the ropes that bound her wrists to her feet. She had been patiently, waiting, trying not give herself away as she silently worked on her bounds. Finally, she felt the ropes loosen around her wrist.

Her eyes fell upon the gun sticking out the holster, of the man on her right. Quickly moving her hand from behind her back, she grabbed the gun and shot him twice. The bullet entered though the side of his neck and his face, as the blood splattered onto her.

Quickly before anyone could react, Michonne raised her gun on the large man who was still holding her head down and fired at him.

The other two wolves, quickly let go of her, moving to the side for cover. As they tried reaching for their weapons, Wilson yelled at them "MINE"

He ran towards Michonne pulling out the Colt Python, aiming for her. " _NO..NO...NO. It can't be like this. Not this quick."_

Michonne had barely got to her feet, trying to balance herself. Her legs were still tied together making it difficult to stand. Jumping on the spot, she turned around and aimed the gun at Wilson.

With their guns pointed at each other, they opened fire.

...

Rick walked into the woods, steadily following their tracks with a flash light in hand. He strained his ears to hear something, anything that sounded like Michonne or Wilson. They came across a few walkers, which were quickly dispatched by Abraham and co. Rick barely looked at the walkers, as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

They kept walking straight ahead and reached an area that sloped downwards to a swamp. Rick surveyed the area, as other waited behind him. He was finding it difficult to concentrate at the task at hand. His mind could barely register what he was looking at, as it kept flashing images of Michonne lying hurt somewhere.

Footsteps sounded from a distance. Rick held his breath, as he turned off his flash light. He raised his hands and signaled the others to be silent.

...

 **A/N: The next update will be quicker. Thank you for reading. I'm sorry if this chapter offended any of you. Take care and have a great weekend.**


	21. Richonne, water and dirt

**Hello everybody. Very sorry for the delay in update. I fell ill and was in the hospital for a while. Just got back home a few days ago. Well, I'm back now and ready with the next chapter. Thank you Alycea and Guest for your reviews.**

 **This is chapter 21: Richonne, water and dirt. Rated 'M' for violence and disturbing scenarios.**

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Rick walked into the woods, steadily following their tracks with a flash light in hand. He strained his ears to hear something, anything that sounded like Michonne or Wilson. They came across a few walkers, which were quickly dispatched by Abraham and co. Rick barely looked at the walkers, as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

They kept walking straight ahead and reached an area that sloped downwards to a swamp. Rick surveyed the area, as other waited behind him. He was finding it difficult to concentrate at the task at hand. His mind could barely register what he was looking at, as it kept flashing images of Michonne lying hurt somewhere.

Footsteps sounded from a distance. Rick held his breath, as he turned off his flash light. He raised his hands and signaled the others to be silent.

...

Wilson shuffled his way through the darkness, quietly followed by two of the remaining wolves.

"Don't move"

Wilson's whole body went numb at the sound of that voice. He trembled in fear as he turned his head to the right.

Rick, Morgan, Rosita, Glenn and Abraham stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight, with their guns drawn

Rosita and Glenn stepped forwards and quickly took away their weapons, whilst the others closed in on them. With his gun on a shocked looking Wilson, Rick stepped around him and quickly frisked him. As soon as he was finished, Rick jammed the muzzle of the glock 67 into his temple as he stood to his left.

"Where is she?"

Wilson remained silent as he kept staring at Rick's face.

Rick raised his left hand; his fingers wrapped around the Colt Python. He quickly opened the chamber and saw that it was empty. Sticking it behind his belt, "She wouldn't just hand this over. What did you do to her?" Rick's voice shook as he asked him the question.

"I... I killed you!...I killed you. You can't be here..This can't be happening.. I killed you. I beat you."

Rick hit him across the face with his gun, almost knocking Wilson to the ground. Wobbling where he stood, Wilson for the first time, in a long time, felt absolutely powerless and confused. He still didn't know how Rick was alive. His mind worked feverishly as he tried to make sense of it. He had stabbed him in the neck, and cut it open. He saw the blood spurt out and stream down his neck. He himself, had scrawled a 'W' on his forehead.

And yet, here he was - alive and looking as dangerous as ever **.** He did not have a W on his head. He did not look pale. He did not have a scratch around his throat, except for an imprint of a hand and a little bruising on his chin, and his face. Except for his shirt being soaked in blood, he looked absolutely healthy.

Wilson tried to focus as he looked for a way out. Rick 's companions had them blocked off from the front and the right. And Rick stood on the left, with his gun pointed at his head. As he looked back at Rick, he saw the slope behind him that led down to the swamp.

His knew his only play was Michonne. Rick wouldn't kill him as long as he didn't give up her location.

"You'll kill me as soon as I tell you where she is. So this is what's going to happen. You're going to let us..."

"WHERE IS SHE? TELL ME..." Rick eyes were almost popping out of his eyelids, in anger, as he grabbed Wilson by the collar.

"uhhhhh...ahhhhh"

Rick's eyes diverted past Wilson's, for a second, as he looked in shock. Over fifty walkers headed in their direction. Quickly turning around, Abraham and Rosita opened fire on them. The machine gun buzzed away noisily. Behind them, Morgan and Glenn fought the remaining two wolves who were trying to attack them.

And that was all the distraction Wilson needed. Ducking down he charged at Rick and tackled him. He grabbed Rick's right hand and pushed it away. Launching himself at him, Wilson's stocky frame drove into Rick's gut, grabbing him by the torso. The two men fell over the edge of the slope, painfully crashing into the wild roots and rocks, embedded in the hard surface of the slope. Their bodies rolled over onto either sides of the swamp below.

Landing on his back, Rick's entire body was immersed in the marshy waters of the swamp. He gasped for air, as he waded through the dirt and slime. Pushing himself up, Rick wiped the the dirt from his eyes as he looked for Wilson. The man was thigh deep in mud, trying to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction, towards the shallow end of the swamp. Using his hands, Rick tried to feel for the gun that had fallen into the swamp along with him

Unable to find it, he grit his teeth and took after Wilson as fast as he could. The muddy waters splashed in all directions, as Rick stomped his way towards Wilson. With each step, his abdomen ached in pain but his lean frame allowed him to move quicker than his prey.

Rick jumped at him, enclosing his right arm around Wilson's neck. Pressing his weight upon him, he tightened his grip, as he pulled back on his right hand with his left.

Slowing down, Wilson raised both his hands as he used his fingers to pry apart Rick's arm from around his throat. As he felt his fingers, Rick flexed his arm harder, constricting his wind pipe, making it difficult for Wilson to breathe.

Right above the swamp, gun fire echoed violently into the night, as the battle waged on.

"WHERE-IS-SHE?" Rick growled into Wilson's ear. "TELL ME YOU SON OF A BITCH"

Rick continued to press his weight down upon him, as he choked Wilson. Starting to feel light headed, his knees buckled a little. Wilson jerked his body in desperation, trying to break out of Rick's grip. He then used his elbows to hit him, moving it behind him.

Rick held on as hard as he could, using every ounce of his strength to hold the heavier man in place. Wilson snapped his head back, causing Rick to move his head to the left. Rick adjusted his stance, exposing his upper torso, as he continued to apply pressure. Wilson drove his elbow into his belly, over and and over again. Rick buckled slightly and loosened his grip.

The heavier man grabbed Rick by his right knee and then pushed him over his back, lifting him over his head. Rick fell on his back, again, as Wilson fell onto his side.

Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, Rick pushed himself up on his side and kicked out his leg. The tip of his boot connected with the ridge of his nose; Wilson clasped his face as he fell on his back and howled in pain. Rick jumped over him and pressed his knee down on Wilson's chest.

Rage and survival instinct kicked in for Wilson, as Rick raised his hands to punch him. Wilson used his large hands and pushed Rick off him. Thrown on his back, Rick rolled over and picked himself.

Dripping in blood and mud, the two men stared at each with murder in their eyes. Wilson wiped his bloody nose and spat into the swamp in disdain.

"Where's MICHONNE? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Rick yelled at him.

Wilson simpered and then replied, "I did what I said I would. I raped her... slowly! And then, I shot her dead!"

...

The four of the wolves stepped forwards, surrounding her from all sides. They lowered themselves ready to begin.

Two of them, held her down by her head and her feet. Her breathing became faster as she quickly realized what was happening. Feigning unconscious, she peeked through the injured side of her face, past the large set of hands that were holding her head down to right.

The other two sat on their knees on either side. She saw the one on the right, move his hands towards her breasts and squeeze them. And then she felt another set of hands unhooking the catch of her pants.

For the last hour, Michonne had been trying to untie the ropes that bound her wrists to her feet. She had been patiently, waiting, trying not give herself away as she silently worked on her bounds. Finally, she felt the ropes loosen around her wrist.

Her eyes fell upon the gun sticking out the holster, of the man on her right. Quickly moving her hand from behind her back, she grabbed the gun and shot him twice. The bullet entered though the side of his neck and his face, as the blood splattered onto her.

Quickly before anyone could react, Michonne raised her gun on the large man who was still holding her head down and fired at him.

The other two wolves, quickly let go of her, moving to the side for cover. As they tried reaching for their weapons, Wilson yelled at them "MINE"

He ran towards Michonne pulling out the Colt Python, aiming for her. " _NO..NO...NO. It can't be like this. Not this quick."_

Michonne had barely got to her feet, trying to balance herself. Her legs were still tied together making it difficult to stand. Jumping on the spot, she turned around and aimed the gun at Wilson.

With their guns pointed at each other, they opened fire.

But Wilson was quicker. He emptied the two remaining bullets into her, causing Michonne to miss him completely.

Michonne gasped in pain, as the bullets pierced her flesh - one in her belly and other above her waist. There was a look of shock on her face as she stared back at Wilson. She felt her right hand tremble; the weight of the gun was starting to feel too heavy. It slipped through her grip, as Michonne's left hand clasped around her wound. She lowered head and looked down at her crimson colored skin.

Her stomach pumped out blood; it bled profusely from her open wound, dripping through her enclosed fingers. Mentally exhausted and physically in pain, she felt her eyes fill up. She looked back at Wilson, as tiny drops of tears streamed down her face.

Wilson had a smug expression on his face as he watched her, bleeding from her torso, standing in her blood stained bra and unbuckled pants.

Michonne closed her eyes briefly as she tried to block out the pain. She tried to focus on her anger as she looked towards Wilson. She wanted to attack him; she wanted to hurt him; she wanted to kill him; But right at the moment she was finding it difficult to stand. Losing her balance, she stumbled backwards, closer to the hole the wolves had dug for her.

She teetered on the edge, as she tried to regain her balance. Wilson holstered the gun and then walked towards her.

He placed both hands on her shoulders and helped her stand straight. He glanced over the side of her face, he had kicked in, "I didn't want it to end. Not this fast. I wanted to make love to you...we all wanted to make luuuuvvvv to youuu. I guess I'll have to satisfy my self with burying you alive."

He then punched her in gut causing Michonne to bend over and scream out in pain.

"OH YEAH, BABY! YOU LIKE THAT DON'T YOU?"

Doubled over in pain, Michonne watched herself bleed into the dirt beneath her.

Panting, Michonne raised her head slowly and spat into his face. Wilson closed his eyes in instinct as her saliva hit his skin. And then in her ultimate act of defiance, she pulled back her head and hit him in the face with her forehead. He winced in pain and then, still holding on to her, he slapped her across her cheek.

"It's almost over honey. You'll be with Rick soon. Don't you want to see him again...Michonne...MICH-ONNE...come on. Don't you want to play anymore?"

Michonne's eyes were almost shut as she tried to form words.

"Alright then..." He pushed Michonne hard; she saw the whole word spin around her as she toppled backwards into the ditch.

Wilson signaled the two of the remaining wolves "Bury her..."

Her abdomen felt like it was being pulled apart, but Michonne pushed herself to get back up. Tears streamed down the side, into her hair. She felt her body shake violently as she strained against the physical impulse to lay down and rest.

"Michonne, it's over. I killed you! Right now, you're dying...why do wanna put yourself through more suffering...more pain..."

She raised her head and slowly looked back up at him. Squatting down on his knees, he kept watching in amusement. Resting her palms on both side, she raised her self into a sitting position, when she felt the dirt hit her body.

The wolves stood on either side of the ditch, shoveling the mud back into it. The dirt fell into her eyes and face; she closed them and used her hand to shield herself.

Slowly, the level of the mud around her started rising. It weighed down upon her chest and abdomen, forcing her to fall back down. Michonne could barely see, what was happening now. Slowly, her body was completed immersed in mud and dirt. It pressed down on her as she struggled to breathe. She tried to move her body, still fighting, not willing to give up; the mud seeped into her mouth, her eyes and her nostrils. Finally, she closed her eyes and felt a sudden sense of calm set in. In some part of her mind she though of Rick and felt her self smile.

 _Michonne placed her hands on his chest and felt his heart beat. She looked into his eyes and caressed his chest._

 _Rick's raised his hands to cup her face. His left arm slid down her back and rounded on her waist. He puller her closed and used his right fingers to trace her face, from her eyebrows to her nose. He used his thumbs to caress her lips. She closed her eyes as she allowed her self to feel his touch. She felt his penis poke into her abs._

 _He leaned forwards and brushed his nose across her right cheek. He caught her scent and kissed her softly on her cheek. His arms enclosed around her body, and felt her nipples pierce into his chest._

 _He allowed himself to feel weak. He allowed himself to stop thinking. This was bliss. This was love. This is what Michonne was to him._

 _Michonne felt his strong arms around her, and his fingers on her skin. She grabbed his ass cheeks as hard as she could and pushed herself deeper. Her left arm moved up, to place it around his neck. Her right hand caressed the back of his head. Slowly she let her fingers run through his hair. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes._

 _She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She never knew how much she wanted to feel that way with Rick, until then_

 _"Why did this take so long?", she spoke quietly into his neck as the water fell across their naked bodies._

 _He slowly pulled back his head to look at her._

 _"'cause I didn't think I could ever fall in love again...and I didn't know I was, until now."_

 _Rick closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He opened them, and his dark blues' peered deep into her fiery browns'._

 _"...and I didn't think you'd ever want me-_

 _Michonne leaned across and pressed her lips into his. Her lips parted to feel his tongue inside her, as she enclosed her mouth around his. Rick grabbed her from behind and picked her up. As her legs enclosed around his back, he gently pushed her up against the bathroom wall. He let his hand slide across the back of her head, as he positioned her, ready to enter._

 _She held on to Rick as tight as she could. Hoarsely, she voiced out_

 _"Fuck me, Rick! Fuck me, now! Fuck me as hard as you can. Make me scream, make me cry._

 _He entered her slowly, feeling every inch of her._

 _"I love you, Rick!"_

 _"I love you, Michonne!"_

 _..._

Dripping in blood and mud, the two men stared at each with murder in their eyes. Wilson wiped his bloody nose and spat into the swamp in disdain.

"Where's MICHONNE? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Rick yelled at him.

Wilson simpered and then replied, "I did what I said I would. I raped her... slowly! And then, I shot her dead!"

Rick saw his lips move, he heard him say the words. But he stood in shock, unable to comprehend it. He stared back in denial, "NO!" he shook his head.

"You...you're lying. She's not...you can't kill her. She's ss-ttrong..she can't be..."

"I killed her, Rick. I KILLED HER!"

"no.."

"She's dead..."

"NOOOOOOO" Rick screamed in rage and charged at Wilson.

Like a rabid dog, Rick attacked him in flurry of blows. Rick kept punching at Wilson in the face, reducing his eyes into puffy slits. His knuckles felt sore and heard something crack as it made contact with his facial bones. Breaking through the skin, Risk's fist glistened with Wilson's blood as he continued to hit him.

Wilson's head was spinning, he could barely see through his eyes. But he was stronger and bigger than Rick. Although hurt, Wilson didn't feel completely incapacitated. In a sudden fit of rage burst of energy, Wilson punched into his chest as hard as he could. Rick was momentarily thrown backwards, clutching at his chest..

As Rick tried to regain his momentum, Wilson snagged him with kick to his ribs almost lifting him off the ground. He kicked him again and broke his ribs causing Rick to double over in pain. Wilson grabbed him by the collar and delivered a head-butt to Rick's forehead. His fingers then clasped around his neck and lifted him off the ground.

With his legs dangling in the air, Rick used his knees to try and hit Wilson. Moving his head to side, Wilson flipped Rick on his back and immersed him entirely under the water. Hands still around his throat, Wilson proceeded to choke Rick.

He clawed his arms and his face desperately, trying to break his grip. Wilson clenched his teeth and pressed harder. Rick's hands brushed the side of his face, digging into his skin; with his finger nails cut tearing through the flesh. But Wilson held on, bearing the pain. Underneath, Rick was starting to suffocate as the water and dirt gushed into his nostrils. As he tried to grab Wilson, his left thumb brushed over Wilson's left eye. Quickly reaching out, he grabbed Wilson by the side of his head and pushed his thumb into his eye. Using his nails he pressed on as hard as he could and pierced his cornea.

"AAAAHHHHH" Wilson screamed into the night. He let go of Rick's throat, as he raised his hands to protect his eyes. Rick raised his head out of the water, gasping for air, still pushing into Wilson's eye socket. Rick stared around him wildly, seeing spots. Expanding his lungs, he took in deep breath of fresh air.

Bleeding from his eyes, Wilson was screaming out in pain, trying to pull out Rick's thumb. Grabbing him around his throat with his right hand, Rick pushed him to the side and immersed him in water. With his left thumb in his eye and his right arm around his throat, Rick held him in place and started choking him.

And just like Rick, Wilson tried to scratch his eyes out as he struggled underneath the water. As Wilson's right hand found his way towards Rick's face, Rick used his legs and interlocked it. Letting go off Wilson's head and neck, Rick pulled back on his right arm, bending it as hard as he could. There was sickening crack as Rick broke his arm, right around the elbow.

Wilson screamed out again, coughing and choking as water filled with dirt and slime entered into his throat. Pushing himself up with his left arm, Wilson gulped in air. He kicked out with his right leg, trying to push Rick off him.

Letting go off his broken arm, Rick used both his arms and legs, and wrapped them around Wilson's right leg. Embracing it as if his life depended on it, Rick turned it completely to the side until he heard it snap. Wilson screamed out in agony, as he lay there withering in pain.

Letting go, Rick lay back listening to yelps of pain from Wilson, as he panted in exhaustion.

He heard footsteps behind him, and turned his head to see Glenn and Abraham running through the swamp towards him. Rick legs wobbled as he stood up, feeling a bit light headed. He caught hold of his side, feeling his broken ribs, as he turned to his left to look at them.

"JESUS.." Abraham exclaimed loudly.

Rick was covered in mud from head to foot, bleeding from his face. "What happened up there...?" he asked them.

"The two of 'em who were with him are dead. They tried to fight us, we had no choice. We managed to kill all the walkers. Morgan and Rosita are waiting for us up there. They are keeping watch..."

Rick turned back to look at Wilson, who was trying to crawl away with his left arm and leg.

Rick stalked him, slowly, and then kicked him in the side causing him to roll over on his back. As he lay there helplessly, Rick stepped over him and placed his foot right on his neck.

"WAAII-TTT" Wilson pleaded. "I shot her in the gut...She was still alive when we were burying her. It hasn't been that long.. What is more important to you...killing me? or saving her..."

Wide eyed, Rick stared back at Wilson with a hint of hope. "Where is she...?" he asked in hoarse whisper.

Wilson lay panting, painfully, trying to hold his right arm with his left. "a 100 yards from here...towards the South. It's a open area, clear of trees."

Rick turned back towards Abraham and Glenn. "TAKE HIM BACK TO ALEXANDRIA. I'll go...look for her..."

"Rick" Glenn implored, "let me come with you... you don't have to do this alone..."

He shook his head back at him. "Take him back...if he's lying...I'll need him."

With that Rick gingerly made his way out off the swamp, hoping against hope, he wasn't too late.

...

The place was exactly as Wilson had described it. Rick ran towards a spot that looked like it had been recently dug. He suddenly felt afraid of what he was about to find in there. He used his bare hands and dug into the earth as fast as he could.

"MICHONNE...CAN YOU HEAR ME... MICHONNE...MICHO-"

He saw it, in the midst of all the dirt - a hand that lay motionless. Rick quickly dug around it. Finally, his hands brushed over her body. Rick reached into the mud and heaved away handfuls of dirt, like a man possessed.

Brushing away all the mud around her face, he grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Sitting on his knees, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

Rocking back forth he whispered into her ear "No, no, no, no...I'm here...please just.. just open your eyes."

Placing his right hand on her back, he rubbed her gently. "We are supposed to be together...We were always meant to be together...

But she lay motionless against his shoulders.

Gently placing his left hand behind her head, he laid her down. He saw the blood glistening around her waist;he saw blood stained bra that was barely covering her breasts; he saw the scratches and imprint of several hands on her body; he saw the bashed in side of her face; he saw his own tears fall over her body.

He brain felt like it was about to explode. He grabbed both sides of his head, trying to hold the pain, as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Unable to accept it Rick raised her body; one hand behind her back and the other behind her head; and held his head towards her chest, trying to listen for a heart beat. He laid her back and started performing CPR. He repeatedly breathed into her mouth, trying to pour all the air he had into her lungs finally causing him to cough wildly.

Rick stared back at her, almost willing her to get back up. But she remained motionless, with her eyes shut. He bend over her and brushed his ace against her's. He kissed her dust covered forehead and then her lips. His hands trembled as he softly touched her arm; he pulled her towards him.

Carrying her in his arms he sat down in the 'grave', with his back to the wall. Placing her across his lap, he held her lifeless body tightly against his chest and pressed his lips into her cheek as he cried. "It's okay...it's all over now...It's all..."

Rick eyes widened as a sudden thought occurred to him.

He looked back at Michonne, who lie dead in his arms. ' _I can bring you back!'_

His mind wandered over the lifeless corpses of Daryl, Carol and Sasha.

 _'I can bring all of them back...'_

...

Carrying Michonne in his arms, Rick ran through the woods, back to Alexandria.

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 **A/N: That concludes the WOLVES ARC and the second half of this story. In the next update, we are going into the 3'rd and final act Richonne: Always meant to be. Cheers and thank you for reading. I am**


	22. Richonne, come back

**Hey guys! Wish you a pleasant weekend. We're getting closer to the end of this story, and I'm excited and nervous on how it's all going to end. Thank you Nay766 (Yes, I'm feeling much better. Thank you!). Guest (sorry for making it so gruesome. It's just that kind of a story.) Thank you guys for you continued interest. So this is chapter 22: Richonne, come back. Just an opinion, try listening to _Arsonist's Lullabye_ while reading this (Season 6 Trailer song). **

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From the watch tower, Aaron peered through sniper rifle trying to see through the darkness. Eric shuffled his feet nervously, behind him, as he kept looking back at the dead bodies of Tred and Maxinne. They had just seen Abraham, Glenn, Rosita and Morgan return, dragging Wilson along. "Keep an eye out for Rick" is what Abraham had said before passing through the gates of Alexandria.

A rustling of leave, hurried footsteps jolted Aaron out of his thoughts as he carefully surveyed the area around them. Rick Grimes appeared carrying with him what looked like a body. It looked like he could barely hold the weight; bending over slightly and tending to his side, looking like he had an injury.

"Urgghh..aaargghh..." sounds of moaning emitted from the right.

"Walkers..." Eric pointed from behind Aaron.

The two Wolves, Rick had killed before making into Alexandria, had turned and they were slowly making their way towards him.

"I see them.." Aaron replied back.

Taking aim, he shot them down one at a time.

Aaron waved at Rick from the distance, Rick looked back at them and nodded in acknowledgment and headed towards the gate.

"Is that Michonne, he's carrying?" Eric asked from behind.

"I think..so. Is she...?" Aaron asked anxiously.

"I'll find out" Eric replied.

"Eric, we're supposed to keep watch."

"...Okay...but I say we head back in about an hour."

...

"CHRISTINA...WHERE'S CHRISTINA...?" Rick yelled as he carried Michonne's corpse in his hands.

He ignored cries of shock and grief from Maggie and Tara.

Carl rushed forward in fear..."What happened to her...DAD?"

"It's okay, Carl. I'm gonna bring her back...

Rick turned to his family as they looked back at him in sorrow.

"I'm gonna bring all of them back... Glenn, get everyone's bodies inside the hospital wing...Carol, Sasha, Daryl, Deanna, Spencer, Albert, Chloe. "

Glenn stared back at him, completely perplexed.

"Rick...they are all dead. You can't bring them back. "

"I CANNNNN! AND I WILL!" Rick replied back, suddenly looking dangerous.

Glenn was starting to feel afraid for Rick. He had seen that look before, after Lori had died. Rick had nearly lost his mind. He remembered how Rick had pushed him against the wall, when he had tried to calm him in down. There was murder in his eyes as he held back Glenn, before deciding to let him go.

And right now, Rick was starting to look the same. He didn't blame him. Seeing Michonne dead probably caused him to snap. He knew deep down, if something happened to Maggie, he would feel the same.

Wide eyed, Rick kept staring around him at the residents of Alexandria, circling where he stood, still carrying Michonne's body.

"CHRISTINNNAAA" He kept yelling.

"I'm here, I'm right here." Christina replied back from behind Tara looking nervous. Rick was bleeding from his face, covered in injuries and dirt, and looked absolutely terrifying.

Maggie spoke through her tears, "Rick, please, why don't you lay her down. It looks like your hurt, just rest and we can...

"-I KNOW SHE'S DEAD, MAGGIE. I KNOW!..."

Everyone went instantly silent, at Rick's sudden outburst.

Rick stood panting as he looked at Maggie in anger and then "I know..alright...I know..." a single tear ran down his face as he sniffed his nose.

"..But you have to listen to me. I have a way to bring her back. You got to believe me."

Christina saw the pain in his eyes and realized that he hadn't accepted her death. How many times she had seen this with relatives and families of her own patient

"Alright.. Alright Rick... bring her in. The rest of you bring everyone else's bodies inside, like Rick said."

She licked her lips nervously as everyone else turned around and looked at her. Finally, Glenn walked towards where the Carol and Daryls' bodies lay, followed by Maggie, Tara, Abraham Rosita And Morgan.

Rick nodded at them gratefully, and felt himself smile in relief as he looked at Christina. She smiled back and moved towards Rick, to help him with Michonne's body. Deep inside, a sense of foreboding settled over her as they walked towards the doors of the Infirmary.

...

Laying down Michonne's body on a bed, Rick warily moved towards the one next to her. Maggie and Christina helped him lie down.

The rest of the family huddled around him, after bringing in Carol, Sasha, Daryl, Deanna, Spencer, Albert, Chloe's bodies.

"You're going to take my blood. I don't know how much...but you're going to take as much as you can and give it to her." Christina blinked back at Rick and then nodded, without protest.

"After that you're going to have to fix her up. She was shot, twice I think...check for any bullets. She will come back. You'll see... I was killed today. Wilson,...he-he cut my throat...and I came back..."

Rick was starting to hyperventilate. The rest of them looked at each other uncertainly. Rick turned to his right and looked at her body and swallowed hard. She hadn't turned but he didn't how much time she had left.

He felt a prick in his arm and turned to see Christina withdraw backwards, holding a needle in her hand.

"It's a sedative. It's going to help you rest. Look at yourself Rick, you've been through a lot-

"NO! NO...I- LISTEN TO ME...PLEEEEASSEEEE...YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! Wilson wasn't lying...GLENNNN, MORGANN...YOU HEARD HIM, REMEMBER?"

"Rick, please, maybe he..."

A mixture of anger and sorrow washed over him as he stared at his family - the people he trusted the most- looked back at him in sadness, unable to believe what he was saying. Overcome with emotion, he ran his hands over his face and held his head.

He raised his eyes and saw Glenn's gun sticking out of his belt. Without thinking any further, Rick reached out and grabbed it. As he quickly tried to turn it towards his chest, Glenn grabbed his wrists.

"I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU!...I'M GONNA COME BACK..."

Morgan and Abraham quickly moved to his side and tired to restrain him, whilst pulling away the gun from his hands.

Maybe it was the sedative or maybe because he was really tired. He felt himself starting to get drowsy and tried to shake it off, by moving his head to the side.

Before he could lose consciousness, he reached out with his right hand and grabbed Christina's arm.

She squealed in pain as he harshly pulled her towards him "Promise me, you'll give her my blood..."

Abraham tried to say as calmly as he could "Rick just rest...just lie down for a while."

Rick was beginning to lose his grip around Christina's forearm.

"CHRISTINA...PLEASE...PROMISE ME!" His blue eyes looked into her hazel colored ones'.

She looked back at him, earnestly "O - Okay, Rick. I promise."

Letting go of her, he felt his head hit the softness of a pillow and his body being pressed down into the bed. He turned his head to the right again and looked towards Michonne's motionless body.

His eyelids drooped; they felt heavy as he forced himself to keep them open, until finally they shut over the face had longed to see for the last 18 years.

...

"What does this mean...? Christina..."

"I have an idea...something that's been running through my head for the last two years."

Rick's eyes were still shut, but he could hear Glenn and Christina's voices. It sounded like they were coming from afar.

He opened his eyes and they immediately fell upon Michonne, lying on the bed next to him.

His head felt heavy; he blinked several times as a rush of memories flashed through his mind. It looked like they had cleaned her up, and changed her blood soaked clothes.

Turning his head, he stared over his shirtless body and tried to sit up. But his chest and his abdomen were heavily bandaged. He could feel stitches on his face, and his muscles felt like they were on fire.

"Rick-"

Christina rushed towards him and pushed his shoulders down. "Rick...just relax. You're gonna tear your stitches."

His voice sounded extremely hoarse as he spoke. "Is she alright? Did she wake up?"

Christina stared back at him silently, and inhaled.

"No."

Rick looked back at her, concerned.

"Didn't you...didn't you give her my blood?"

"...Yes...I did."

"How-how long has it been...did she turn...?"

"No, Rick."

Maggie's voice sounded from across the room. Rick turned his head slightly and saw that his entire family was seated across the room, waiting for him to wake up.

"It's been 4 hours. It's almost 1:30 Am." Christina replied back to his earlier question.

Rick closed his eyes and sighed deeply. It took him weeks to wake up the first time he died. He turned to his right again to look at her.

Footsteps sounded from across the room as everyone moved closer to his bed. Silently, they waited along with Rick as he kept watching Michonne, patiently waiting for her to open her eyes.

Christina cleared her throat and then asked Rick as gently as she could. "I removed the bullets that were in her. They were lodged in her kidneys. And then I stitched her up."

"Did you check her for other injuries...Wilson said...she..was raped.."

"She wasn't raped, Rick. I did check her. They tried, but she fought back."

Rick nodded in response still keeping his eyes on Michonne.

"Rick, I need you tell me everything. How did you know about your blood? What did you mean, when you said you were killed today and that Wilson cut your throat?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead he raised his arm "Help me up."

Christina and Maggie helped Rick into a seated position. Leaning his back against the railings of the bed, he closed his eyes and slowly explained how he had woken up from his coma the first time, and what Shane had told Lori - about him being dead. He continued to explain that he had been short earlier in the day, and Wilson had slit his throat.

"9 hours, and I opened my eyes as if waking up from a dream. The bullet had gone through me, the knife had cut open my throat. But after I woke up, it was like..nothing had even happened. Not a scratch on me...it was like I healed up on my own." He looked back at everyone; their faces a mask of shock and confusion.

Only Christina's face remained impassive. "And the first time it happened...it took a week or so?"

Rick nodded "..maybe more.."

Christina lowered her head; deep in thought and looked back at Rick. "It was you...For the last two years I had wondered who's blood results I was looking at. It was yours..."

"What are you talking about?"

She straightened up at his question and then turned to the others, before responding. "After you fell asleep, I administered the blood transfusion to Michonne just like you asked. Then I, along with the help of Maggie and Rosita, tended to your wounds."

"That's when we heard gunshots, from outside." Abraham continued. "It was Aaron and Eric...walkers tried to get 'em. They were combing back.."

"By the time we got to them, Eric had been bitten, in the back and in the shoulder." Tara added in guilt.

Rick turned his head to Morgan, "We killed the walkers...and carried him inside. Aaron was starting to panic...he was scared."

Christina resumed talking.." When they brought him in, I didn't know what to do. That's when I realized, it had been over an hour since you had brought Michonne in...and she hadn't turned. I didn't think any further, I transferred what reamined of your blood to Eric."

She turned to her side and pointed toward the bed in the corner. Eric lay with his eyes tight shut, his chest heaving up and down, sleeping peacefully."

"It has been over three hours...he hasn't turned...no sign of a fever or any kind of infection. I cleaned the abrasions from the walker bite, and stitched up his wounds. He is doing absolutely fine, Rick. He's not going to turn...he's going to live."Christina said, breathlessly.

Rick lowered his eyes..."so what does...what does this mean...?"

"Yes...Glenn was just asking me that. I have a hunch, I think I know what's going on. Rick, I need to test your blood"

"What about Michonne..how is she doing?" Rick asked, his voice brimming with hopefulness.

Christina's face fell .."She's still...she hasn't woken up...Neither has Daryl, Carol, Sasha, Deanna..."

Maggie moved towards Rick side and placed her arm across his shoulders. "She going to come back...they are all going to come back...we believe you, Rick."

"Yeah...she's just too damn tough...just like her boyfriend..." Abraham added with a smile.

Rick nodded at them gratefully and looked back at Christina's grim expression.

 _'What isn't she telling me'_...he wondered. _'She did give Michonne my blood, when everyone else thought I was crazy, I should give her the benefit of the doubt. There's something else left to do.'_

Rick raised his eyes at Abraham "Where's Wilson?"

"We put him in the cell...along with Sven."

Rick got up from the bed, with the help of Maggie.

Abraham continued "Them two are only ones alive. The ones you shot down, turned, we put them down and dumped their bodies in the woods."

"I saw we do the same with Wilson and his sidekick."

"We're not going to kill them.."

"WHAT?...WHAT DA HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, RICK? After everything they've done, we're just...we're just gonna let them go?"

"I didn't say that..." Rick said with a plain face.

...

"You think this makes you better than us? Come on...We're all killers here. This doesn't change a thing" Wilson scoffed at Rick, as Morgan and Abraham secured his ropes around a tree.

Rick stared back, expressionless, watching Wilson, as he shook in fear. His broken arm and leg, stuck out in an awkward angle.

They were outside Alexandria, once again in the woods.

Sven struggled against the ropes, tied to another tree, across Wilson.

Once Morgan and Abraham were done, Rick stepped forward. "Yeah..., we're all killers. I thought about the things that we can do to you. But then I realized, no matter what we do, it won't be enough for the pain and suffering you have caused us today. The lives of our friends...our families...no...we can't do enough..."

Wilson swallowed and sighed, trying to calm himself. "Rick...I was just looking out for my people...I was trying to keep them safe...just like you. You can't hold that against me...That's how the world works now."

"Oh..but I do! See.. we fight and kill to protect our people...our home. You do it to have...stuff... thangs...that don't belong to you. We've killed all your people, except for you two." Rick turned around to look at the other man...our fight's over. That's why we are not killing you today...'

"You're not?" Wilson asked in surprise.

"No, we're not. And I want you know something. My blood...it's immune to the walker plague. That's how I survived... So now we have a cure! This "world"...and the "way it works" it's all going to change. It's going to go back to the way things used to be. And when that happens, I don't want a SINGLE PIECE OF YOU TO BE HERE FOR THAT!"

Rick raised his Colt Python and fired three shots into the air.

Wilson turned his head left and right, trying to see through his puffy eye lids.

Rick holstered his gun and turned his back on him. His eyes fell upon Sven, who looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"RIIICCKKKK!" Wilson yelled in desperation "..I killed your woman...I killed MICHONNE! I RAPED HER...I HURT HER AND I MADE HER BLEED...DON'T YOU WANT REVENGE? COME AND GET ME YOU PUSSY ASS BITCH...COME BAC-"

Rick turned around and placed his gun right on the 'W' on Wilson's forehead."That's it Rick, come on...have your revenge...come on..

He contemplated shooting the man, just for a second and then he lowered his gun "Wolves belong in the wild! That's how they live...and that's how they'll die!"

Without another glance, Rick turned his back on him and walked away with Morgan and Abraham.

Wilson was left facing Sven, who was tied to the tree opposite to him. "COME BACK HERE YOU SPINELESS BASTARD! COME BACK HERE AND FINISH ME, LIKE A MAN! I-"

Wilson was cut short by sound of footsteps; stumbling and dragging their feet, walkers appeared out of the darkness. They surrounded Sven, he watched in in fear as they tore through his flesh and feasted on him. Sven cried out in pain, begging for it to end.

And then he felt it, human teeth biting into his skin, ripping though his shoulders. Another one at his hips; then his legs, his belly. Wilson screamed into night as walkers surrounded him, eating into his flesh and his organs, until finally there was nothing was left.

* * *

 **A/N: DIE, WILSON..DIE!**


	23. Richonne, ZeroPoint 1 percent

**Over the course of this story, there have been several chapters that have ranged from being sweet, blissfully romantic, action packed, smutty, heartbreaking,..etc. This chapter wasn't hard to write, but by the time I was done, I felt drained. Both physically and mentally. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Writing this story has been an adventure on it's own. I felt their pain, I felt their love, and I know you have too. We're heading towards the end of Rick and Michonne's journey.**

 **There are still a few chapters left. So let me begin the end, with chapter 23: Richonne, 0.1%**

* * *

Rick walked back into the infirmary, followed by Morgan and Abraham. As he opened door, a foul stench emitted from the room. Glenn, Maggie, Tara and Rosita all looked back at him in sadness. Christina was bent over Michonne, checking her eyes with a flash light.

"What's going on" he asked quietly, almost too afraid to speak.

Christina turned around and straightened her sweater "I'm sorry, Rick. It's...not working."

"What's not working?"

"Their bodies are starting to decompose." She pointed at the bodies of Daryl, Carol, Sasha, and the others.

"Did you give them enough of my blood..?"

"It's not the quantity, Rick. It's... she paused uncertainly,

"What aren't you telling me, Christina...I saw it earlier..you've been holding back..

"Rick, I need you to sit down"

His mouth was slightly open, as he stared back at Christina. "What..?"

"Please, just…sit down."

Morgan placed his hand on Rick's shoulder, causing him to look at him with the same expression.

He turned back to Christina, "I'll sit next to her."

Rick walked towards Michonne's bed, and sat next to her body. Her face was still kicked in the side, the injuries on her body still existed, and she was still dead.

Rick touched her hands, they felt ice cold.

Christina pulled up a chair, opposite to Rick, and sat down. The others surrounded them and waited for Christina to speak.

"You know I was working with the CDC, here in Washington. But before that I was a general surgeon at a hospital in Seattle. I was the best, not just in general surgery, but coming up with unique methods of treating patients, handling THE most difficult cases, diagnosing diseases and symptoms that were deemed to be undiagnosable, going beyond my field of study and assisting with Genetics, Neurology and Cardiology. I had always been fascinated with the human body."

"For that reason people - patients and doctors from all over the world - would come to me for treatment and advice. I became quite popular in the medical community."

"When the walker plague began, the best doctors and scientists came together to find a cure. I was one of them. I was called to the CDC to understand what we were facing, but we didn't know that we were running out of time. In the end, there wasn't that many of us left.

"We assumed it was a virus, but no matter the number or the types of tests we ran, we couldn't find it. If we had, we would've tested the virus and come up with a cure or an anti-virus. But there was nothing there, nothing in the blood or the DNA. In fact, every test we did...whether it was on a walker or a living human being...we couldn't find anything. The only thing we could determine was, as long as there was no brain trauma that person would come back as a walker, if he/she died or was bitten by another walker."

"With no idea what was going on or what we needed to do, doctors and scientists across the planet started giving up. I was starting to feel the same way, until we received a transmission. Dr. Jacques Montesque, a doctor from France, he came up with the theory that the virus had altered the human DNA. That somehow we had evolved."

"It sounded absolutely ludicrous. A virus that could be transmitted through air, that could modify our DNA, so that if we died we would come back as 'walker' (as long as there was no trauma to the brain). But nothing else made sense at the time. And then one day, I received another "transmission", from Dr. Edwin Jenner."

Rick's eyes widened at the sound of that name.

His mind flashed over a man in a lab coat, with a shot gun in his hand.

 _"What do you want?'_

 _"A chance." Rick pleaded_

 _"That's asking for a lot these days..._ _You all submit to a blood test...that is the price of entry."_

"I met him" Rick turned to look at Glenn who nodded back at him. "We met him at the CDC, in Atlanta. He said the French were close to a cure."

Glenn added _"_ He also said we had to agree to a blood test, in order to stay."

"He was probably lying, trying to get you to admit if there was anyone among you who was bitten. Doctors do that sometimes. When we get the feeling that the patient maybe lying, we threaten them with tests to get them to tell the truth. There was nothing to discover - we're all infected, remember?...And"

Rick remembered that night, he was drunk. Bottle in hand, he walked towards Dr Edwin Jenner as he sat in front of the computer, after having gone through the blood results.

 _"Any surprises?" Rick asked him_

 _"No"_

 _"I wanted to thank you..." Rick continued_

"...And the French were never working on a cure. Like I said, they had a theory. They were working on trying to prove it. At least that's what I heard before communications went down."

"Christina..." Rick interrupted "What was the transmission you received from him?"

"The results of a blood test...YOUR blood test..I didn't know at the time. But based on everything you've told me, how you came back to LIFE, it had to have been yours."

Rick covered his face in his hands, and then looked back at her "is this what you were trying to tell me earlier?"

"Yes. When I first saw the results of your blood test, I realized that Dr. Montesque's theory was right. For the first time, I was actually staring at a human D.N.A, wherein I could actually see the virus.

"You see, until that point we had nothing to work with. We could only develop a cure if we could actually test the contamination; isolate the foreign matter in the D.N.A, test it and then work on a cure. I tried reaching out to Dr. Edwin Jenner, but by that time I had lost all means of communication."

Christina paused to look at Rick "That's why I believed that we could develop a cure. That's why I asked you if I could work on it, because I had actually seen it. All my efforts, for the last two years, were directed towards replicating those blood results. But no matter what I did or tried, I kept failing."

Rick interjected "Why didn't Jenner tell me all of this? If my DNA was a source to finding a cure, why didn't he do anything about it? Instead, he committed suicide."

"Not to sound arrogant or to dishonor Dr. Jenner's memory, but he had to have been exceptionally intelligent, not to mention extremely good in the field of 'Genetics' to have realized what he was looking at. And it wasn't that he didn't do anything. He probably saw an anomaly when he tested your blood but didn't understand what it was. So he uploaded the test and it's result on to the server in the hope that someone else could understand it."

"But I was too late. If I had seen it earlier, maybe I could have reached out to him. I saw those results nearly a week after he had uploaded it."

"He did say his wife was the smart one." Glenn added. "That he was simply trying because he had promised his wife."

Rick nodded grudgingly. "So now you have the real thing, you can do all the tests you want. You can come up with a cure."

Christina shook her head at Rick. "You still don't get it, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rick, we all thought that this virus was some sort of plague designed to wipe out human kind. But we've been looking at it the wrong way. This wasn't designed or created to kill people, it was created to bring people back to life! TO STOP THEM FROM DYING."

"I..don't..." Rick rubbed his forehead, trying to understand, and then closed his eyes. He grit his teeth and asked as patiently as he could "What the hell are you talking about it?"

"Someone somewhere was working on virus (It had to have been in gaseous form to had to have spread through air.) that could potentially save people's lives. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out the way they hoped it would. Then it went viral; spread through the air, affected every human being on the planet. It altered our DNA, and then began the walker plague. Since people were turning into monsters, everyone assumed that this was some sort of bio chemical attack or, in some cases, the end of the world!"

"You are LIVING proof that it was not. When I saw your blood results, I assumed that you were the key to curing this thing, but today after what you told me, how you came to life, I realized I was wrong."

"The virus altered everyone's DNA, including yours. But the difference is, it is a perfect match with yours. Let me try and make this as simple as possible. Imagine the human DNA is a set of building blocks, shaped in the form of rectangles - each part of it. Now imagine, one part of it, suddenly turned into a circle. The circle would stand out, among all the rectangles. That's your DNA!

For the rest of us, there are no circles - it's all rectangles. It altered our DNA, but it isn't a match with the properties of the virus. It merged with ours, living no evidence of any kind of alteration or contamination. Hence, for the rest of us it work in reverse. When we die, or if we get bitten, the virus immediately becomes active. The brain processes it - which is why trauma to the brain renders it inactive. We won't turn if our brain's dead, because there's nothing to carry out the function of the virus."

"We have no 'circles', Rick. So when I say it works in reverse for us I mean, it kills everything in our system. A fever sets in, spreading the infection killing us from the inside. Our organs shuts down and decays, and then our brains shuts down. So when it comes back, it only awakens the part that works on pure instinct - WALKERS, BITERS, ROAMERS..whatever you want to call it we can see, we can hear, we can smell, we can even make noises with our mouth, but everything inside is dead...it's like..

"Meningitis.." Rick whispered, repeating what Dr. Edwin had told him.

"Right.." Christina nodded sadly. "It degrades everything inside. But with you, it happens the right way, the way it was meant to - REGENERATION."

"If you were to die, as long as you brain was intact, the 'circle' would immediately initiate the process towards repairing the damage. The brain would actually carry it out; regenerating the damaged tissues, muscles, your nerves, your organs, your bones, your skin, until finally it re-awakens your brain. But since there is no decay or damage, it re-awakens your entire brain, with your memories and your personalty...basically it brings you back, restores you the way you were, right before you died.

"The catch is, you'll have to die in order for your body to begin the regeneration process."

"Does that mean...Rick is immortal.. ?" Glenn interrupted.

"Uh...in a manner of speaking..I guess..but don't get me wrong. Rick can age...he can grow old. But If he were to die, his wounds, injuries, his organs - whatever that caused his death - it would heal itself. And as long as his brain remains intact, he's going to come back."

Rick asked suspiciously "But the first time it happened, I woke up and I still had the wound on my back. It hadn't healed, not completely.

Morgan spoke up in support "Rick's right. I saw that wound, thought he had been bitten. In fact, he nearly tore open his stitches trying to kill a walker, the next day."

Christina thought about it a while "It was the first time! My guess is Rick had died in the hospital. He was probably 'infected' after."

She turned back to look at Rick "The virus had found it's match. So the next step was regeneration. But it probably needed time to come into full affect; acclimatize itself to your body, you brain function, the extend of your wound.. And then you woke up. But the wound hadn't properly healed. It did however, over time. You probably weren't paying attention, given everything that was going on.

"If you remember, when I checked you a few weeks ago, there was no sign of THAT gun shot wound in THAT PARTICULAR area. In fact there was no visible scarring or any kind of marks. It did seem odd to me, at the time. But I didn't too much about it, you seemed so disinterested. All that remained were marks of injuries that you had sustained, after you had woken up.

Rick's remembered their conversation from a few weeks ago

 _"So how does it look?" Rick asked quietly._

 _"A lot better, it looks like most of the cuts have dried up. You may still have some faint scarring, totally normal, and the bruising has gone down. You said, you were shot in the back, before all of this? Well, there is no visible scarring or marks. Aside from that, some of the bones around your waist, your abs and your ribs feel like they were broken a while ago?"_

 _Rick recalled his fight with the governor, "Yeah, about 5 or 6 months."_

 _Christina nodded her head "Yes, the time frame seems consistent. The bones have set over time, but not properly. As you get older, these bumps and bruises are going to hurt. You are going to be sore in a lot….…" she saw the complacent expression on his face._

His thoughts were interrupted as Christina continued to speak ..."And after I sedated you, earlier, I checked you again, all those previous injuries there are no signs of it. Just the ones that you had sustained today, after you had woken up again - after you had died again."

"Except this time, since it was the second time, it was much faster. What took you weeks, the first time, only took you 9 hours this time. And if there is a next time, I think it's safe to assume that you're going to heal faster. Of course, how much can you heal, that's questionable. If I cut you down into tiny little pieces, would you be able to put your self back together...probably not. The body would need to be still attached to your head (brain) in some way."

"WHY?" Rick barked at her "WHY ME?"

Christina shuddered in fear at his sudden outburst. "I-I don't know. Everything I've told you so far has been based on facts. Now you're asking me to hypothesize, and I don't think that's..."

"Christina...Rick whispered at her dangerously "the word ended a long time ago. The woman I love...most of MY FAMILY is lying dead in this room. If there's a way I can bring them back..."

"YOU CAN'T, Rick. That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time!" Christina said emphatically.

"I don't know why your DNA is a match to the virus. And if you want to me guess...the only thing I can think of is that...we know that the virus only affects humans. No animal had been affected. So we can assume that the virus was created using human DNA. Now why is it a perfect match with yours...maybe it was created from your DNA."

"WHAT?" Rick asked is shock.

"I DON'T KNOW, RICK. I'm guessing..."

"How could someone just make a virus, using my DNA?"

Christina raised her arms helplessly "I don' know. Have you ever...donated blood?"

Rick stared back in silence, realizing what she was telling him. "Yes, plenty of times."

"When doctors or scientists conduct experiments, they get access to a lot of resources. All they would need is an investor. So if someone wanted to create a life saving drug or 'virus' that could save human lives, logically HE/SHE/THEY would use human DNA. They would have looked for a particular blood group, age, sex, race...my point is..it's not that hard to imagine that they got their hands on your DNA."

"Of course, this is all hypothetical, another factor could be your genes. 99.9% of all human DNA are the same! To put that into perspective, we all have the same physiology, except for our reproductive organs. And that's how we classify a human being as a man or a women. But if we are to look deeper, we can further classify them on a personal level. "HE'S A NICE GUY, SHE'S A NICE GIRL, SWEET, BITCH, BASTARD, ASSHOLE...THAT'S THE REMAINING 0.1%. Your behavioral traits, the way you look, the way you sound, your height, the size of your body...basically the person you are - your genes which you inherit from your parents."

"When the small-pox first broke out, it killed a lot of people. Miraculously, a few people were immune to it. How were they immune? - their genes. It was more tolerant to the virus. It didn't affect them, they way it affected others. Similarly, your immune to the virus or the perfect match in this case. If a walker were to bite you, you wouldn't turn, you wouldn't die. We'd just have to patch you up.

"So in short, if we were to ignore the idea of this virus being created from your DNA, then another theory would be your genes. What you inherited from your parents. YOUR 0.1%."

"Does this mean, my son is like me?" Rick asked suddenly.

"No. Your son's DNA is a mix of yours and your late wife's DNA. For example, the process of birth involves the impregnation of the female egg by the male sperm. Hence forming a zygote, which attaches itself to the woman's uterus. Now as that zygote grows, it becomes a baby, adopting the DNA's of both its parents and hence forming IT'S OWN UNIQUE 0.1%, while the remaining 99.9% remains the same. Which is why, every person's DNA is unique, unless you have an identical twin. So your son might be immune, we can test for it. But his body wont' be able regenerate human tissue, like yours."

"Your 0.1% could have ideal properties that makes it a perfect match for the virus. Which makes it unique. The rest of us have a different 0.1%, it's not a match to the virus. So whether this was created using your DNA or if it's your 0.1%, it doesn't matter. The point is, only your DNA is a match. It's only you that can come back from the dead."

Rick shook his head "NO..NO..NO, THAT IS JUST...MICHONNE...SHE..

"..HER 0.1% is different from yours Rick, just like the rest of us. She can't come back."

"But you said..." Rick paused to breathe "You said you gave my blood to Eric. You said he's doing better. The infection didn't spread, the fever didn't set it. HE DIDN'T TURN!"

"Because injecting your blood, which contains your DNA perfectly altered by the VIRUS, renders the VIRUS in his body INACTIVE. It's like two negatives cancelling out each other. The virus is still in him, but your DNA had made it dormant. But it doesn't change the structure of his DNA, his 0.1% still remains the same. I know it doesn't seem like much to you right now, but what this means is we have A CURE. I can synthesize your blood and develop a vaccine. This way we don't have to keep using your blood, every time some ones get's bitten. "

"BUT HE DIDN'T TURN, CHRISTINA!"

"YES, AND HE WASN'T DEAD, RICK! He was bitten and I injected him with your blood, thus stopping him from turning. I did the same with the others - Carol, Sasha, Daryl, Deanna, Spencer, Albert, Chloe. But they DIED, more than 12 hours ago. They're bodies have started to decay, and they've all suffered trauma to the brain. I thought Daryl had been stabbed, but he's got a bullet in his head. Probably got it in the cross fire, when Deanna and the others tried fighting the wolves."

Rick wiped the tears from his eyes "Michonne didn't suffer any trauma to her brain. She was shot in the belly and then buried by those fuckers! She can come back right...she can...she has to..."

Christina saw that his hands were shaking as he held them over his face. She reached out carefully and placed her hand, gently on his shoulder. He raised his head and looked up at her.

"She can't, Rick. The virus only works for you. Injecting you blood, stopped her from turning. But it can't bring her back. The virus works in two parts - YOUR DNA and the brain processes it. Your blood can't alter her DNA. Each and everyone here has a unique DNA, the 0.1% makes it unique.

"Her 0.1% is different from yours, just like the rest of us." She repeated, this time with tears in her eyes.

Rick tightened his grip around Michonne's ice cold hand. He shook his head in defiance "No...NO...she has to... After everything we've been through, this can't be it. This can't be IT!"

Everyone stared back at him in sadness.

"We're supposed to be together" he pleaded with them. "I met her, for the first time almost 20 years ago. I was...I was stupid. I didn't know how to...she was in high school, I was.."

Rick started to take breaths to stop himself from crying.

"I had just started out as a cop... and she... uh.." Rick stopped talking to stop himself from crying, but he was too late. The tears poured down his face; he cried out as if his whole body was on fire, screaming from the top of his lungs. Until his throat couldn't scream anymore. He coughed uncontrollably, struggling to breathe.

Maggie rushed towards him and hugged him at tight as she could, forcing himself to calm down. His hands grabbed her around her shoulders, gruffly, causing her to shriek. He hung his neck around her shoulders and continued to cry.

Maggie bit into her lips, trying to control her grief, until she felt his hands loosen around her shoulders.

Rick turned around and bent over Michonne's dead body. He cupped her face and stared into it. Her eyes, were shut, and her mouth was slightly open as he held her face in his hands. "I need you to wake up. OKAY! Just do that for me...just open your eyes. PLEASE!"

Rick turned around and looked at the others. His piercing blue eyes stared into their souls. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CRYING?" he yelled at them.

He turned around to look at Michonne again and smiled "She's just fooling around. Any minute now, she's gonna open her eyes and say - fooled ya...ha ha..she's got a sense of humor. You haven't seen her play with Carl. I have.

"Okay Michonne, you got us." He paused to smile "Now you can open your eyes...okay..JUST OPEN THEM...COME ON...I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME..."

Glenn turned around unable to watch it anymore. He clapped his right hand over his mouth, and silently cried.

Rick continued to speak to her as If he was alone "you know I wanted to see you that night. But I was shy. You were in high school. I didn't want to seem like a..a weirdo." He lovingly caressed the part of her face that had been kicked in. But Michonne still lay dead in front of his eyes.

Christina reached out and placed her right hand on Rick's shoulder.

Rikc turned around and pulled out his Colt Python. He pointed it right at her forehead, with a maniacal look in his eyes. "Bring her back!"

Hands to her sides, Christina stood wide eyed in fear.

"RICK, STOP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Tara screamed at him.

Rick didn't take his eyes of Christina. He heard them yelling at him; his family trying to reason with him, asking him to calm down. But he wasn't paying any attention to them.

He leaned forward and titled his head to side. "You're gonna find a way to bring her back, or I'm going to kill you."

Tara pulled out her own gun, her hands shook as she pointed it at Rick, "PUT YOUR GUN DOWN, RIGHT NOW!"

Glenn stepped in front of Tara and raised his hand "Woah, woah, hold it." He turned to his side and raised his hand at Rick "Rick, LOOK AT ME...this ain't you man!"

Rick was delirious; he was sweating profusely and his ears were ringing. He felt rage like never before, as he stared her down. Christina seemed like she was frozen, hardly daring to breathe. There was some sort of buzzing in the background, people were screaming at him. But he could hardly hear them.

And then, through the midst of it all, he heard the voice in his head. Except this time it sounded like Michonne.

 _"We don't need them here, I don't need my sword. I think you can find a way, we can find a way. And if we don't ... I''m still with you."_

She was always there; his voice of reason, his conscience.

 _"Do you know what I see, when I look at you? I see a man I can trust. Someone who'll always never stop believing in us – his family, even when we stop to question him, or doubt him, or even try and stop him."_

Trying to assure him that he was a good man, even when he didn't believe it.

 _"The deal with the governor, you had to think about it. You had to, I get that."_

 _"Yeah, I came real close,"_

 _"I never thanked you.'_

 _"For what?"_

 _"For getting me out there, that day. Taking me in."_

 _"Well, if you didn't have that baby formula, I wouldn't have."_

 _"You could've just taken the formula."_

 _"...must have been something else then."_

Never doubting, always believing in him.

 _"...I'm okay..."_

 _"I know...'_

 _"..how.?"_

 _"cause I'm okay, too"_

The Colt Python hit the floor, as Rick fell on his knees. He lowered his head and sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry...I'm so..sorry..."

Christina gulped nervously and approached him.

Squatting down, she placed both her hands on either sides of his shoulder and gently rubbed it. "It's okay, Rick...It's okay."

One by one, his family moved closer to him. Gathering around, they cried in silence, comforting one member of their family whilst mourning the loss of another member they had lost that day.

As he sat in the midst of his loves ones, he turned his head and looked towards the one he loved the most.

Her eyes were still shut, the side of her face was still kicked in. Michonne was dead.

* * *

 **A/N: If you are crying, if you are in pain. If you are angry. If you feel betrayed. I'm sorry.**


	24. Richonne, yesterday

_**Thank you Nay766, and guests for your feedback. And to all the silent readers out there.**_

 _ **Here's the next chapter to the Richonne: Always meant to be. Chapter 24: Richonne, Yesterday.**_

* * *

"Did you give him the dress?"

"Yeah... I told him we'd wait for him." Genn replied.

Rosita lowered her head and went back to shoveling dirt. She wondered whose body would lie in the grave that she was digging.

Maggie looked upwards at the sky "It's almost sunrise. Look like it's going to be a beautiful day. I'm afraid to believe it, especially after yesterday."

"We can, Maggie." Morgan interjected "WE have to, for everyone else. Not just here, but everywhere. Rick, in spite of what happened to Michonne, he's gonna want to. And we're going to be there for him."

"The world's going to change. It's going to go back to the way things were. Everything that happened till yesterday, it's all just history for the future. And this, right now, is the future."

Rosita looked sideways, to her right, at Abraham. He kept digging, silently, without looking up. She remembered what he had asked of her, yesterday morning, as they lie in bed

 _"We could make a life here, you know. You, me, and a couple of rugrats."_

 _She smiled in response and turned to the other side. He moved closer to her and whispered _"I used to have a family. After they died, I didn't think I could ever go back to that. But being here with you, now, being with our new family, I want more. Don't you?__

 _After a moment's hesitation she replied _"The world's still the same. Just because we're in here, that doesn't change things out there."__

 _"It doesn't have to. But we can..." Abraham argued earnestly, to a silent Rosita._

"I want more." Rosita said to Abraham, causing him to look up. She sighed at him "Things are going to change out there and in here. I want to too."

"DAMN, STRAIGHT!" Abraham bellowed, in happiness. Throwing down his shovel, he put his hands around her hips and picked her up. "Come here, darlin'." They kissed, as Morgan, Tara, Maggie and Glenn looked at them in joy.

The moment was interrupted by Father Gabriel, making his way to the graveyard. "I have informed everyone in town. We can begin the proceedings as soon as they arrive."

"Thank you, Gabriel." Morgan said quietly. "But we're gonna wait for Rick."

"Of course."

"Where is he?" He asked hesitantly.

"He's still in the hospital wing" Tara replied. "He'll be here soon."

"I understand. Do you need any help…?"

"No, Father. We're almost done." Abraham said, wiping the sweat from his face. He stepped out of the grave he was digging and joined Rosita, to help her.

Gabriel glanced at the bodies that had been laid down in the corner. Each of them - Sasha, Carol, Daryl, Deanna, Spencer, Chloe and Albert - had been cleaned and then covered in white cloth.

He closed his eyes and prayed quietly for each of them, until he stopped to look at the bodies again.

"Where's Mihonne..?"

Glenn kept his eyes lowered at the grave he was digging. "Rick's gonna bring her. He just needs some time to say goodbye."

...

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Rick held on to Michonne's hand, as his blood shot eyes stared at the wall opposite to them. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he knew there wouldn't be enough to say goodbye.

He lowered his eyes and looked at her face again. The side of her face was still caved in and her eyes were still shut. He placed his head on her chest, trying to listen for a heart beat. Slowly, he reached across and pulled the covers over her body, covering her face.

Rick leaned back against the railings of the bed and continued to stare at the wall.

The doors to infirmary opened behind him. Rick turned to see Christina walk in.

"Oh..I'm sorry. I thought every one was out side."

Rick's blinked back at her; his face remained expressionless.

"I'll go...I'm sorry.

As Christina turned around to leave

"I'm not going to kill myself."

"No..I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. Thank you, for checking on me."

Christina turned around, almost embarrassed to look at him.

"I'm sorry about what I did earlier, for putting that gun to your face." Rick spoke out encouragingly.

"No, you don't have to be sorry. It was completely understandable. As a surgeon, I have lost a few patients on my watch. And then I had to tell their families about it. There have been instances when people have yelled at me or sometimes ever hit me. Although, I do admit, you were the first one to pull a gun on me."

Rick smiled weakly at her comment.

"When we start out as interns, we're given real life scenarios where we have to go up to families and give them bad news. Senior doctors instructs us to be calm, but not emotional. We have to be clear in our explanation of what happened, but we can't get involved. Be supportive, but firm. They say it's the only way you can learn, that it get's easier the more you do it. But the truth is, it never gets easy. You get better at hiding your emotions, but you never get used to it."

"When I spoke to you about Michonne, I lost my patience; I got involved and became emotional. I wasn't being a doctor at that moment..."

"...You were trying to be a friend...It's alright." Rick finished for her.

"No, it's not. A few weeks ago, you told me that you're going to trust me, when you trust me. That I was here, not because I trusted any of you. But to ensure that I stay alive. I was trying to be a friend because I wanted to be...a part of your family.

"..You are." Rick assured.

Christina looked at him gratefully and nodded. She glanced over his right hand, clasped around Michonne's left.

"Were you really going to shoot me?" She asked anxiously.

Rick shrugged at her "I wanted to; I didn't know why. But there you were, giving me your explanation. Tellin' me...that she can't come back. You had tears in your eyes, and your were telling me you were sorry...At that moment you looked guilty, like somehow you had made a mistake that cost her life. I just felt so mad."

"Oh...well I'm glad you didn't"

"...That wasn't me. It was her. I heard her, in my head...the things she had said every time I screwed up. Every time I...doubted myself."

"Rick, don't take this the wrong way. But sometimes, you kinda get a little.."

"Crazy?" Rick added with a smile.

"I was going to say 'aggressive', but yeah. Maybe the next time you feel like you are going to lose control, just imagine what would Michonne do. Like would she've pulled a gun on me, if she were in your place."

"NO. She would've probably punched you in the face.." Rick chuckled.

Christina laughed along with him "Still better than getting shot in the face. And I guess I'd have been the second doctor of Alexandria, to get shot in the face by Rick Grimes."

They laughed together, until Christina said "Come on, we shouldn't laugh. I mean for Pete's sake-"

Rick broke into a fit of laughter. He covered his eyes with his hands and laughed so hard, finally causing him to cough. And then, as the laughter died down, he felt his eyes well up with tears. His right hand clasped around Michonne's warm hand, again, as he covered his eyes with his left and cried into it.

The smile on her face turned into a somber expression. She waited for Rick to calm down.

As Rick wiped his eyes and sniffed his nose again, Christina decided to tell him what she really came to say.

"Before coming back here, I went to check on Eric. He was eating breakfast with Aaron. He doing absolutely fine. No fever, no infection. So, I think we can say for sure that your blood works and that we definitely have a cure."

Rick nodded, acknowledging what she said.

"I can develop a vaccine, Rick. I can synthesize your blood..."

"..I know. You told me that earlier.

"If some one get's bitten, all I have to do is stitch them up and give them a shot of the vaccine.

"I understand."

"There's a talk of hope out there. Aaron told everyone how you saved Eric, that we have a cure. You're more than a leader now. On some level, people are going to look at you as their savior."

Rick scoffed at her and shook his head "I'm not. But I understand why they would feel that way."

"You could change things, Rick. You have to believe that."

"I do. All of you deserve a better place to live in. I'm going to change things for my children, for you and Tara, Glenn and Maggie, Morgan, Abraham, Rosita, for all of Alexandria.."

"But not for you?" Christina asked him.

"My better world died with her. She was supposed to make it alright for me...make everything I'd done worth it. But, as always, I lost her. So now I'm just gonna concentrate on making a better world for all of you."

"Wouldn't Michonne want you to move on, Rick."

Rick looked at her indignantly.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I was trying to say was, she wouldn't want you to live the rest of you life in sorrow. I mean, I used to be married to my work. I realized that I could excel in the field of medicine and surgery and so I dropped my life in pursuit of glory. Didn't give enough time to my self, my parents...and one day my mom and dad passed away and I was all alone. Then the world ended, and I kept working trying to save it. I kept failing and failing again. Then I gave up."

"I ran into Daryl, didn't know what to expect. But he brought me here, and then I met Tara. I helped kids and adults who were sick. Checked their blood pressure, stitched up the everyday bumps and bruises. No cutting edge science, just your basic average community doctor. And then yesterday happened. And I found what I had been working for all my life - GLORY. The doctor who diagnosed the walker plague. The doctor who developed a vaccine from your blood."

"I don't want the glory, Rick. Not anymore. I just want to do all that so I can have a world for me and Tara, where we can be safe and happy. My point is Rick, you can't just live for a purpose. You have to also want to live for yourself. "

"Yeah...the thing is, I haven't done that in a while. I've had people to look after, enemies to protect them from. Purpose is all I had. Then my wife died, giving birth to Judith. I nearly lost my mind when I saw her for the first time, crying in Maggie's arms. Wanted to blame the baby for what had happened. Couldn't even look at her.

"It took me a while, but when I carried my baby girl for the first time, I accepted her into my heart, realizing that I was responsible for her. I felt alone in spite of having people around me. I was at my weakest...And then Michonne walked into my life."

"She changed things, for me. She was there for me...there for my kids, in ways that I could never be. I didn't feel alone anymore. I found a friend in her, and then I fell in love with her."

"For the past couple of weeks, I started to want things from life. I started hoping that I could have em'... hoping I could be with her. And then today morning..."

Rick paused as he saw the clock on the wall. It read 5:45 AM.

"...Yesterday...yesterday morning she told me that she loves me. And I thought that was it, that somehow I could have everything I had hoped for. All of that died, today, with her."

"I'm alone again, and now I have another thing to do - got to put the world back the way it was!"

"Once that's done, and I'm sure my kids are okay, I'll put a bullet in my head. That's the only way I can die, right!...so that's the way it's gonna end."

Rick remained idle pondering over what he had just said.

Still holding onto Michonne's hand, he lowered his head, and pressed her fingers to his lips. Closing his eyes, he pushed her lifeless hands to the side of his face.

"I'll be outside.." Christina said, walking towards the door.

Rick heard the door shut behind him. He stood up and moved aside the covers. Standing over Michonne's lifeless corpse, he wondered if he go through with what he had planned. He bent to his side and picked up the bag Glenn had brought him.

Inside it was a black strapless dress. He recalled what he had heard from Jeff and Megan.

 _"She's a beautiful black woman, hot boobs, amazing butt and did I mention drop dead gorgeous? Oh, and by the way she was dressed, I'd say she was looking forward to meeting you!"_

 _"anyways, what I wanted to ask was, were you at that party? 'cause I have this memory of you in a strapless black cocktail dress…. I'll never forget that dress. It was just so beautiful."_

He wished he had see that night. He briefly wondered if the dress in his hand was pretty as the one she had worn.

Placing it aside, Rick bent over and began to undress her. He recoiled from the icy cold of her flesh. Her body felt as stiff as marble. The injuries he had sustained from his fight with Wilson made it difficult for him.

He strained and struggled against his stitches as he straightened out her arms and legs. He relished the pain; the physical exertion allowed him to subsume his grief in sweat and pain.

Once he had removed all her clothes, he stared down at her naked body, recalling how warm it had been when they had made love under the shower. She had held him so close, as the water ran down their bodies.

His whole body began to shake; Rick took deep shuddering breaths trying to calm himself. He clasped his hands around the edge of the bed, trying to steady himself, and then fell to the floor.

 _'It's not her. It's her body. Her cold, lifeless body. Michonne's somewhere safe and warm. Now take a deep breath, and get back up.'_

Picking himself up, Rick pulled out the black dress and proceeded to pull it onto her body. He squeezed and heaved, causing him to tear his stitches.

Once he was done, he stepped back with his hand on his wound, and looked at her.

He closed his eyes and waited, hoping one last time that she would wake up.

Almost five minutes passed by in silence, and then Rick opened his eyes. But Michonne still remained motionless, her eyes still shut.

Rick climbed over the side of the bed and embraced her warmly, arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. As he caressed her face, it didn't feel cold anymore.

He opened his eyes, and raised his head to look at her. The bruising on the side of her face had subsided, and her cheek bones looked as if they had straightened out.

"uuuhhhh.." She gasped for air, and raised her head.

Rick moved back in shock and fell off the bed.

Quickly pushing himself, Rick stood in shock with his mouth slightly open.

Wide eyed and looking just as shocked as Rick, Michonne stared back at him "Rick..."

* * *

 **A/N: Were you paying attention?**


	25. Richonne, Today

**WELL HELLO THERE EVERYBODY. LOTS OF INTERESTING THEORIES ON HOW MICHONNE CAME BACK. However, one guest review got it right (I don't know your name, but you were right. So big shout to you) Read on and find out. Thank you GUESTS, E. MorrowluvWordz, Vegaslover, Songbird 11 (It's been a while, thanks for coming back), Hershey26, Idilisamonalisa, and Cam for your wonderful feedback.**

 **Here's Chapter 25: Richonne, today.**

* * *

Rick climbed over the side of the bed and embraced her warmly, arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. As he caressed her face, it didn't feel cold anymore.

He opened his eyes, and raised his head to look at her. The bruising on the side of her face had subsided, and her cheek bones looked as if they had straightened out.

"uuuhhhh.." She gasped for air, and raised her head.

Rick moved back in shock and fell off the bed.

Quickly pushing himself, Rick stood in shock with his mouth slightly open.

Wide eyed and looking just as shocked as Rick, Michonne stared back at him

"Rick..."

Hardly daring to breathe, he blinked back at her several times, afraid if he was hallucinating.

Michonne looked back at him, utterly shocked. She glanced back and forth between him and the familiar surroundings of the infirmary and then at herself in the back strapless dress.

"Where...how am I..."

She cringed in pain, and clasped her left hand over her belly, where she had been shot. Placing her right palm on the bed for support she slid backwards towards the railings behind her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Horrifying images of Rick, bleeding to his death, asking her to leave him behind, flashed through her mind.

As she opened them again she looked at him "You're...bleeding.." She rasped, anxiously.

Following her line sight of Rick looked down to his left side; a dark stain was beginning to form on his shirt. He had torn open his stitches when he had fallen of the bed.

His eyes stung as they began to well up; his vision began to blur, causing him to blink. Drops of tears streamed down his face. His lips quivered as they broke into a grin. He laughed, overcome with relief and joy, and rushed towards her.

Placing his knee, he climbed over the bed and embraced her living, breathing, warm body. His arms wrapped around her exposed shoulders and pulled her towards his chest.

She could hear the beating of his heart. She rubbed her face into his sweaty shirt, crying into it, breathing in his scent. Her hands crawled upwards and held onto either sides of his shoulders, her finger nails digging into the fabric of his shirt

He ran his fingers over her back; rubbing her skin, feeling it underneath his fingers. His saw his own tears drop onto her body, as he lowered his head and repeatedly kissed into her shoulders and her neck. His ran his fingers, upwards, through her hair and placed it behind her head.

Michonne raised her head upwards as her hands reached for his face.

As Rick felt her fingers on his cheek, he lowered his head.

They closed their eyes and wrapped their arms around each other. Their noses brushed and pressed against each other. Enclosing their lips, their tongues met twisting and turning, savoring everything they could taste. Their minds blank, all except for one thought;

'Y _ou and I. Today and always.'_

 _..._

"They say that their love for each other was so strong and so pure, that even death couldn't keep them apart."

"That's pushing it, they were human beings right?"

"How else would you explain Michonne coming back from the dead. As we all know the great battle of Alexandria had led to several deaths of prominent figures in history. Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Sasha Williams..Michonne Grimes was one of them. You've read about it haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. And no where is it mentioned that Michonne came back from dead because of LOVE!"

"FINE! But you did read about the part where Rick carried her body in his arms and ran for 50 MILES-"

"-5 Miles...they were in the woods"

"Right, 5 miles back to Alexandria. As he ran through the gates, he cried like a mad men for Dr. Christina Stevens, swearing he could bring Michonne back."

"But Michonne wasn't dead. They thought she was. They took her inside the hospital wing, and at 6:00 AM Michonne gained consciousness. Dr. Christina saved her life."

"Check your facts, no where in the history books is it written that Michonne was thought to be dead-"

"-Rick SAID she was dead and that he could bring her back. And then they took her inside the hospital wing."

"And then they walked out, together! I think Rick Grimes was capable of determining if someone was dead or not! "

"YOU CAN'T BRING SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD! RICK GRIMES WAS THE EXCEPTION, BECAUSE OF HIS DNA. He claimed she was dead, maybe he made a mistake. it's obvious isn't it, Dr. Stevens worked on her and saved her life."

"NO! RICK KISSED HER AND THEN SHE WOKE UP."

"HA HA...You mean like SLEEPING BEAUTY. That was a fairy tale, and in it sleeping beauty wasn't dead. She fell into a 'death-like-sleep'.

"I'm telling you it was their love for each other. Why can't you be more romantic?"

"Why can't you be less dorky..."

"SHUT UP! AND SCREW YOU."

"Alright...alright, it was their love."

"Theirs was the greatest love story ever...better than ROMEO AND JULIET!"

"OKAY!..better than ROMEO AND JULIET... You know they died for each other, right?"

"Well, Rick and Michonne's story was not fiction. And they LIVED for each other, had two more kids and SAVED the WORLD. Far more noble and meaningful. Michonne died (again) at the ripe old age of 88, holding on to him. And Rick... he shot himself in the head at the age of 201. They found him in front of her grave. Even then, after all those years, in their final moments, they still wanted to be with each other. Now that was TRUE LOVE."

...

They broke apart their kiss, stopping to breathe, and looked at each other. Breathing in and out, Michonne ran her hands over his face. It looked like it had aged since the last time she had seen him. His eyes were red, and he looked completely exhausted. His hair was a complete mess.

"How did you..."

"I'm okay...It's a long story. For now, just rest."

Her expression changed and her eyes widened. She looked towards the door. "Wilson, he-"

"-Ssshhh.. It's okay." Rick shook his head and placed his finger on her lips. "He's dead...they're all dead". He whispered hoarsely.

Michonne nodded her head, and then raised her left hand to side of her face. Her cheek bones had straightened, but there was still some minor bruising. She grimaced in pain as she touched it.

He reached across and pulled her hand down. Leaning across he kissed her softly on her injury, "'You look beautiful."

She closed her eyes and smiled "...No I don't.."

He kissed her again, on her nose, her eyes, her forehead "You're beautiful...I love you."

She placed her palm on his cheeks and kissed him. Resting her forehead against his she said "I love you, too."

"urh.." She murmured in pain and lowered her eyes towards her belly. "What happened, Rick? I remember Wilson...he..he tried to.."

A shiver ran through her body as she recalled him tearing off her T-shirt; him touching her, his fingers against her skin.

 _'COME ON BITCH! JUST THINK OF RICK, YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS.'_

She shuddered in fear, causing to Rick to put his arms around her again. 'It's okay. You're safe."

Her body trembled in his arms. She took deep calming breaths and then slowly, it stopped.

"I remember getting shot..he then pushed me into a ditch. Mud all around me. They were burying me... What happened..Tell me...how did you find-"

The door to the infirmary opened suddenly "Hey..are you-"

Christina stopped in her tracks and stared at Michonne. Her hands clasped around her mouth "Oh GOD! MICHONNE! I can't believe this."

She ran forwards and hugged her tightly.

"My blood worked." Rick said suddenly angry. " I told you it would. I told you she would wake up."

Christina looked towards Rick with an anxious expression, and gulped. She looked back at Michonne who had a confused look on her face. "Rick, please calm down. What are you talking about-"

"It can't have been your blood" Christina replied back. "I told you, it has to be your DNA. Your 0.1%. Injecting your blood into her cannot alter her DNA, or her 0.1%. Let alone alter it into yours. What it can do is simple make the virus that's already in her system, inactive. As in completely dormant!"

"Well it did" Rick argued back.

"Rick.. do you have any idea what you're saying? If it altered her DNA to yours, then she is going to physically LOOK AND SOUND LIKE YOU! She's going to have your traits. SO NO. That's not what happened."

Her eyes went back and forth from Rick to Christina, wondering what on earth they were talking about.

"THEN IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN GOD! Or...Or her DNA..her 0.1% is a match to the virus just like mine is."

"Again, it has to be your DNA, your genes..your 0.1%. It can't be a match to yours and then be a match with hers. Besides, I checked her blood remember?I checked everyone's blood. The only way her DNA can be a match to the virus is if she's your TWIN SISTER! Born together, from the same zygote, from the same set of parents. Hence forming the same DNA with the slight difference because of the gender, but with the SAME 0.1%. I already told you about this. I explained how-"

Christina stopped in mid-sentence as she was suddenly stuck by an epiphany.

"OH!" she exclaimed and hit her forehead with her hand. A smile spread across her face and then looked at Rick with a smug expression.

"You ASSHOLE! I told you to tell me everything." She reprimanded him cheerfully.

"I DID!" Rick said defensively.

"Really?"

"YES!" he replied back, exasperated.

"Okay, one of you please tell me what the hell is going on" Michonne quickly interrupted. "DNA?TWIN SISTER?You guys are starting you freak me out."

Christina smiled at Michonne and then at Rick, almost gleefully. "You're sure you told me everything?"

"CHRISTINA, I SWEAR I'M GONNA-"

"-Did you two have sex?" Christina asked them, teasingly.

Rick looked like he had been hit in the head. He quickly glanced at Michonne, who still looked completely lost.

"Yeah, we did. WHAT IS GOING ON?" Michonne raised her voice in frustration.

"When?"

Michonne glanced at the clock on the wall, it said 6:34 AM. "I don't know exactly. Around this time, yesterday."

"I'm guessing you didn't use condoms" Christina asked, clearly enjoying herself.

"No." Rick replied back. "Does that mean.." he asked, a smile starting to appear on his face.

Christina raised her arms up in victory and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

She turned to Michonne "Around two weeks ago, after a few days I got here, you came here for tampons. You were in between your regular menstrual cycle. Which means right about now you're ovulating. To be more precise, you have been since yesterday."

Rick suddenly remembered that day.

 _"Rick, she's been here for 4 days. It wouldn't hurt to go easy on her."_

 _Rick opened his mouth with an angry retort, but stopped himself._

 _He took a deep breath and looked back at her. "Okay."_

 _They walked out together, absorbed with their own thoughts._

 _"How come you were waiting outside? Did you want to see me about something?"_

 _"No. I just heard your voice, and I…just sort of waited around." Michonne replied, thinking the same thing, 'why was I waiting outside for him?'_

 _Rick saw a brown paper bag clutched in her left hand. "Are you sick or something?" Rick asked as casually as he could._

 _Michonne clutched the bag tightly, which contained tampons, thinking what to tell him._

 _"No….I just…."_

 _"What is it?" Rick turned to look at her straight in the eye._

 _Michonne pointed at Rick's face "See. That's it right there -that's what I am talking about. You got to ease up a bit."_

"I told you, the virus works in two parts - YOUR DNA and the brain processes it. Michonne and you had sex, without condoms. You ejaculated INSIDE HER. Your sperm made it's way to her egg. The fastest time for the sperm to reach the egg is half hour (if you got some real fast swimmers) the slowest being 2-3 days. Now, I don't know how fast you are Rick, but I'm guessing a few hours at least."

Rick covered his face in his hands, laughed into them.

"OH NOW, YOU GET IT! Next time, when a doctor asks you tell them everything, YOU TELL THEM EVERY DAMN THING."

"Christina" Michonne called out to her "Are you saying what you think I am saying."

"Yep. In about 3 weeks time, we can know for sure. But for now, I can honestly predict YOU ARE GOING TO BE PREGNANT!"

Rick rushed forwards and embraced Michonne. They laughed together in joy.

He turned back around and looked at Christina "I'm sorry I doubted you, again. But does this mean that our baby is going to be like me?"

Christina shook her head. "No. Your - PHEW- Okay one of your sperms made it's way to her egg, in her Fallopian tube. It penetrated it, instantly changing the outer surface of the egg, preventing any other sperms from entering it. Then began the fertilization process - the merging of the two to form a zygote. Now, I'm guessing it was during this time Michonne died!"

"WAIT - I - WHAT?" Michonne asked in shock.

"I'll explain, just hold on..." Rick assured her.

"it's can take about 24 hours. Like I said it's the merging of the man's sperm and the female egg -YOURS AND HER DNA. The whole process or the purpose of this process is to CREATE LIFE (where as injecting your blood in her body can't do that). When she died, the fertilization process stopped. Your DNA RECOGNIZED that the host was dying. It immediately did what YOUR DNA was biologically programmed to do. It began the regeneration process. And since there was no trauma to HER BRAIN, it was able to carry out the process and save the host. It didn't take as long as the first time you died, because this was the 2'nd time it was happening. However, it wasn't your body it was hers, so it took time - regenerating tissue, repairing damaged nerves and blood vessels, restoring blood flow, etc."

"So now that she is alive, her body has resumed the fertilization process. The egg will become a zygote, from there it'll become an embryo, a fetus, until finally it becomes a living breathing baby. During all of this your DNA will merge with her's, finally allowing the baby to form it's own DNA with it's own unique 0.1%."

"So like Carl, he/she may be immune to the virus, but won't have the regenerative properties you have. That is still, and will always be unique to your 0.1%. Now in case of Michonne, as soon as the egg becomes a zygote your DNA's healing process is going to stop. But I wouldn't be too worried. It did what it was supposed to, I can take care of the rest."

Rick nodded in understanding and then looked at Michonne, who still looked confused but happy.

Christina suddenly exclaimed "You can't tell any one about this!"

"Why not?"

"Because you are Rick Grimes and she is Michonne. If you were to move forward with the cure, then you two are going to be legends. History is going to remember you as the saviors of human kind, especially you Rick. Eric told everyone out there that you are immune to the virus. People have regained hope."

"Now imagine, on top of all of that people found out that you brought Michonne back to life. Then everyone's going to want to bring back all of their loved ones that they had lost over the last two years. And when you can't, they'll feel crushed, disappointed. Like you did with me. You thought at first your blood is going to work. After I explained everything to you, you felt like you lost her again. You resented me and then pulled a gun on me. In the same way, people will end up resenting you. And they can't! You're our leader, people need to be able to believe in you. That's the only way we can move forward."

"They are going to look at Michonne and resent her, for being alive. They are going to resent the happiness and the love you two will share. Not to mention, your kids. Because SHE was supposed you die and you were not meant to have any of those."

"But she didn't.." Rick argued.

"-She didn't because what happened to the both of you was completely random. Like it was destiny or fate - if you believe in those things.

"There was no way to predict when you two were going to have sex. What if it was a day ago? a week ago? Michonne wouldn't be alive today. It had to have happened yesterday, at the exact time that it did. Michonne had to have died during the fertilization process. If it had happened after, then the two DNA's would have already merged and formed it's own unique DNA."

She shook her as she thought about it for a while. "It's like..." Christina stopped abruptly trying to say the right words.

"...like it was always meant to be..." Michonne offered with a smile

"YEAH! Well,...I guess I can just say 'fate' again."

"Okay." Rick agreed. "We won't tell anyone. But I can't keep it from our people. They deserve to know."

"I wasn't talking about them, Rick. I was talking about the rest of Alexandria. OH MY GOD! This right here, right now - Everything that happens TODAY - all of this is going to be a part of history. I should record this. Quick tell me, how did she wake up?"

Rick shrugged his shoulders "Um..I uh..kissed her and then she woke up.."

"Awwww that's romantic, and also the kind of rumor you can spread. What else? Wait, let me get a pen and paper."

"No." Rick shook his head "We're gonna go out there and bury our people, first."

Michonne turned her head towards Rick.

"Daryl, Sasha, Carol-

-Deanna, Spencer, Chloe and Albert..Yeah I saw them." Michonne finished for him. They looked at each other in sorrow.

"I'm sorry, I kinda got caught up in the moment" Christina apologized. "You're right, we should bury them first."

Rick helped Michonne out of her bed. Together they walked towards Christina and hugged her "Thank you!"

She sighed deeply and hugged them back "Congratulations, you guys. Wait till Maggie and Glenn hears about this."

He smiled at her and then moved to help Michonne. "Hold on! What the hell am I wearing" She exclaimed as she looked down at herself, at her strapless black dress. "I can't wear this and go out there to bury our friends."

"It's okay, I'll bring you something else." Christina quickly reassured her

As Christina turned to leave, Rick stopped her "When we step out there we're going to tell them that she pulled through. That in spite of her injuries, you were able to repair all the damages. That's how we're going to do this. I don't want people bothering her about life and death questions. This way we can say she need rest and avoid too many questions. We can spread the rumors later."

"Got it." Christina nodded at Rick and then left to get Michonne some clothes.

"What is going on Rick" Michonne asked him, as soon as they were alone. "Did I die? Did you..die?"

Rick looked at the worried expression on her face and then hugged her. "I'll explain everything, I promise. But you still need to heal. So why don't you rest for the day and after that-'"

"-No. I have to know what is going on. So not later, not to tomorrow. Today!"

Rick tilted his head to side and nodded with a smile "Today."

* * *

 **A/N: Happy endings are the best, when they've been earned. I think all of us can agree that Rick and Michonne have earned A VERY happy ending. And they will get just that, but we're not quite there yet. There are a few more chapters left (and maybe a few more surprises). Hope all of you will stick with me and Richonne till the end.**

 **And for those of you are wondering why Rick and Michonne had to suffer and die so brutally, aside from the story perspective, we all saw these two lose their minds and go crazy after their respective partners died. I just wanted to show that, their relationship, their love for each other had made them stronger than they were before. My own little attempt at Character development.**

 **Will start with the next chapter very soon. As always thank you for reading. There are only 5 maybe 6 more chapters till the end of the story.**


	26. Richonne, tomorrow

**Hey guys! Weekend's almost here and I'm excited. Got a few things planned out with someone very special (wink wink). Thank you Guests and IdilMonalisa for your reviews. Especially loved the ones written by two guests (the really long one - that was wonderful to read and the really critical one - that was very encouraging.) Love you all for taking the time out to read and review. Here's the next chapter 26: Richonne, tomorrow.**

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Michonne's appearance caused quite a stir among the people of Alexandria. Wearing the white T-shit and Jeans Christina had brought her, she gingerly made her way to Alexandria's graveyard, holding Rick's hand. The immediate reaction was that of shock and awe as they saw her. They kept looking at Rick curiously. They had all heard him say she was dead and he could bring her back as well as the others. But then their gaze shifted from Michonne to the bodies assembled in the corner, ready to be buried. Clearly thinking about Eric's proclamation about Rick being immune and his blood being the cure. As a result 'Could he bring people back to life?' was a thought that did occur in the minds of some.

Rick and Christina were able to quickly convey that she had pulled through, that the surgery had worked. The wounds on her belly had not completed heal; her weakened stance, her slow movements, her left hand over her torso, and there was still a slight bruising on her cheek. All of which were able to convince the others that was indeed the way she survived. However, Rick could see that few still had looks of curiousness on their faces.

The 'family' immediately knew what had happened. But they held their questions and doubts at bay. They were more happy to see Michonne alive, rather than worry about how. Rick felt a chill run down his spine, as he glanced at graves that had been dug. Eight, he counted, hardly able to contemplate that one had been dug for Michonne.

Maggie's eyes shone with happiness and curiosity when Michonne whispered to her 'I'm going to be pregnant', during their embrace. Hugs and kisses were shared, as they rejoiced her 'arrival'. Carl, in particular, couldn't seem to let go. He kept crying as he stared into her smiling face.

Rick stood apart, watching them, going through his own range of emotions. A single moment etched in memory forever.

The rest of Alexandria's residents couldn't help but tear up, with smiles on their faces, as they witnessed the happy reunion. Each thinking of their own loved ones they had lost, or thought they had lost.

And then they buried their friends; all the people they had lost by in a violent act of supremacy, all in the name of survival, in a world almost devoid of humanity.

Gabriel spoke about 'God and people'; that man was sent to Earth to endure life, but was always meant to return back to God. Because they were his children. And that no matter where they are, we will remember them for who they were and honor their memory.

Michonne was lost in her own memories of Daryl, Carol and Sasha. From the time they didn't trust each other, to the time they trusted each other with their lives. The happiness and sorrows they shared, the tears and laughter, all of it over in a single day. Just when the world was about to change, they were stripped off their lives, gone forever, never to been seen or heard from again.

...

"I can't bring them back. I thought I could...I wish I could. But they're gone and we're here. And we are going to honor them."

Rick stood resolute before them, speaking from his heart.

"In all the time to come, whether it's tomorrow or a hundred years from tomorrow, we will remember them, and so will our children and the children after that. I...and MY family over there...we knew Daryl, Carol and Sasha. The rest of knew Deanna, Spencer, Chloe, Albert and...Megan and Corrie. There were other with us - Noah, Beth, Tyreese, Bob, Hershel, Andrea, Merle, T- Dog, Dale, Jim, Jackie, Laurie...Shane. There were others here with you as well."

We are going to tell you what we knew and you're going to tell us what you knew. Then we're going to be one - no more you and us! We'll tell our children about them; about who they were and what they did for us. That's how we are going to remember them."

Michonne looked at Rick, at his clenched jaw and steely-eyed glance. She knew he was crying on the inside, but like always he was being strong for all of them.

Rick looked towards Michonne, their eyes met from across each other.

"What you heard about me, is true. Everything Eric said... I'm immune to the virus. My blood can stop you from changing. The virus...it works for me in reverse. My body can regenerate - I can heal by myself. What that means is, If I die and there's no injury to my brain, I can come back. Except I won't be dead. My wounds will heal, I'll still have my memories. I'll still be ME. "

A murmur erupted between the residents of Alexandria. Michonne, held her breath, as she listened to him.

Rick sighed deeply, realizing the weight of the moment. The stares and murmurs increased, this time in reverence. This was the moment, the acceptance of his responsibility to save all of them; to save the world. He looked towards Michonne again, her lips quivered as she smiled encouragingly.

"I know how it sounds, but I was shot yesterday and then Wilson slit my throat." Rick looked towards her again.."And then I woke up and I was fine. I didn't understand it at the time. But Christina, who worked with the CDC, helped me understand it. There's something in my DNA that makes it work in reverse."

"I love her." he stated pointing at Michonne. There was a heaviness in her chest as she looked back at him.

"..been in love with her for a very long time. And yesterday night, when I carried through those gates I thought, I had lost her forever. It broke me...I was...gone..and then Christina told me what happened to Eric, that my blood had stopped him from changing. In my grief and arrogance, I thought I could bring her back...bring all of them...like it happened to me. But I couldn't. I can't bring people back from the dead. I wish I could."

"Christina..."

Christina lowered her head as Rick looked towards her

"She was able to patch her up. We thought we were too late, but she pulled though...Christina saved Michonne"

"There was a man called Bob in our group. We lost him before coming here. He told me that...this isn't the real word. This was a nightmare and...nightmares end. I didn't believe him then. But Bob was right."

"What I'm trying to say is.." Rick paused to rub his eyes..."that we have a chance to fix things now. We can put the world back to how it was. I don't know... where to begin or how long it's gonna take. But I know it's gonna take each and everyone of us to get there. Together we can make a better world...a better tomorrow."

Rick turned around and looked towards the graveyard "...that's how we're gonna honor them."

...

With a new found purpose and a sense of hope, the people of Alexandria dispersed back to their homes. To pick up where they had left off, to rebuild what had been destroyed and to begin anew.

Christina filled in on what had happened to the rest of the family, how Michonne had come back. They watched in happiness as Rick and Michonne sat by the graveyard, finally together.

Abraham and Rosita quickly took charge; setting up perimeter watch with more stringent security measures. Glenn, Maggie and Morgan helped the community in getting more organized, with the help of Carl and Tara.

Michonne covered her face in her hands, finally having heard the entire truth behind his DNA, her pregnancy and their resurrection.

Rick looked at her worried that she was crying.

As she let her hands fall from her face, he saw those pearly whites gleam in joy.

"I'm going to have a baby...your baby."

"You okay?" he asked reassuringly.

"I just found out that you can't die...and that I'm going to be a mother, again. I'm more than okay. I'm happy."

She slid her hand across and clasped it tightly around his. She then pulled it towards her, and paced his palm on her belly.

"Are you, okay?"

He gushed at her question. "An hour ago you were dead, and I was thinking how am I going to carry you out here, and bury you. Now, you're sitting in front of me, talking, smiling. I can feel your hands around me, I can feel you belly as you breathe. And you're going to carry our child in it. I'm okay, too."

She leaned across and kissed his shoulder and placed her head on it. She looked across the graveyard as the sun rays shined down upon them.

"I wish they were here, with us."

"Me too."

"I feel hopeful, and that worries me. The wolves...there might be more like them out there, or worse...Can we really change all of that, Rick?"

She saw him lower his head and look towards the ground. There was hesitance in his voice "That's..the hope."

His uneasiness made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but chose to remain silent. After everything that had happened she felt like they needed this moment. They sat in silence, basking in each other's presence, feeling safer and calmer that ever before.

After a while she heard him clear his throat, "Michonne,...

"hmm..." she responded quietly, hearing his tone, realizing what he was going to say to her.

"I..." he stopped abruptly, thinking on how to begin.

"Yesterday, when you...nothing happened with Jessie. There's nothing going on between us."

Michonne closed her eyes and sighed. She kept her head on his shoulder for one more second feeling his warmth, before she raised it and turned towards him.

"I know. After I got back here, I was in the attic along with her, Carl and Judith. We talked, she told me everything."

"You spent a night with her in bed. You...you let her kiss you...you touched her. You almost let her take your clothes off almost had...sex. And then you stopped. You let her crawl up next to you, put her arms around you. You then comforted her, and two of you slept on the same bed."

Michonne kept her face impassive, but she could feel the disappointment swell within her.

Rick swallowed guiltily, but didn't look away.

"Then you got drunk at Glenn's party. It was late. She helped you get home. This time you let her take off your clothes, and then she took hers off. Once again you almost had sex and then you stopped. You said..."

Michonne's voice broke as she tried to control herself... "You said she wasn't me.."

Rick reached across with his left hand. He wondered if she would punch him.

But Michonne didn't try to hit him or push his hands away when his fingers enclosed around her forearm. "I meant it. It's always been you, Michonne. And it'll always will be."

"I know...I know. And I don't doubt it... I love you, Rick...but don't except me to just sweep this aside like it's nothing.

She clenched her lips together and looked to her side.

"The first night she came to your room, did you invite her?"

"No. She said she was feeling lonely."

Rick saw Michonne clench her fists.

"Was it...was it the night before Glenn's party. The night when we went out for a walk with Judith? The night I told..you about An-dre?"

Rick closed his eyes and waited before answering "..Yes.."

He kept his eyes on her forearm, wondering if she was about to pull away from his grip. But her arms hadn't moved, although her fists did remain clenched.

"That night when Jessie came to my room, when we got into bed. I couldn't go through with it... I heard you in my head. 'Cause all I could do was think of you. And that's when I knew, about how I felt about you. I'm sorry, Michonne. I'm really sorry..."

She heard the regret in his voice; the sorrow and the pain. There was a part of her that felt glad Rick was sitting next to her, despite having to talk about another woman. She wanted nothing more than to turn and tell him it was okay. But she couldn't,... not just yet.

"She reminded me of Laurie."

Michonne pursed her lips at the sound of that name.

After we got here, from the minute I met her. I thought...I had gotten something back that I had lost forever. That I could give back Carl and Judith their mother."

"When were in the prison...when were out there...every time I saw Judith being taken care of Beth or Carol or Tyreese...every time Carl looked worried or lost and I had no idea what to do. I wished I could...I wished..I could bring back Laurie for them."

"I felt jealous when I saw Jessie with Pete. I almost drew my gun on him. So you were right when you said yesterday that it wasn't just about protecting her from him."

"And then that night, before we talked, I was standing outside and staring at her house... I realized that I was...I was just trying to hold on to that belief, because I always felt guilty for not being able to protect Laurie. Jessie was...a reminder of my past..of the kind of person I was. And I thought I needed that because everything that happened after led to the man I had become - a killer with no remorse, unable to trust anyone,...like some kind of wild animal."

"And then you were there, ..and I realized you've always been there."

"You always knew what was right...you were there for me..you knew what to say to Carl...when I didn't.. you could get Judith to sleep..when I couldn't. I've always felt this...I don't know what to call it...bond...friendship...respect...something..that kept me looking towards you. And yesterday I found out what it was."

"You're better than me...better than all of us. You're able to do ever thing that I can to keep our people safe...and yet still be able to trust people, take chances, to be kind and selfless... "

Michonne turned her head to look at Rick.

"When we were together yesterday, I...I said I didn't think you'd ever want me...because I didn't thing I deserved YOU. For every time I screwed up, made a bad decision..for every time I did something that I thought I couldn't come back from..When I did things that scared the others...things that made me afraid of my self...you were always there. You always believed in me...believed that I was a good man and I felt happy...and I didn't think I deserved that."

"That night, when we were talking...that's the first time I felt that...maybe I had a chance..that maybe you liked me... I wanted to kiss you that night. And I saw it in your eyes, you wanted to too. And then Judith cried and you said 'let's go home.' I thought maybe it was all in my head and then Jessie showed up-

"-STOP!"

Rick stopped abruptly

Michonne stared back looking hurt "I said let's go home because, Judith was crying. It was late in the night, and your infant daughter was crying in your arms. I said it because I realized that you had two kids and you had the responsibility of being our leader..I didn't want to get it in the way of all of that...not because I didn't want you!

"I have wanted you since I was 18."

Rick looked back open-mouthed at Michonne. "I'm sorry-

"No! You don't just get to say you're sorry and make this alright!" She said and slowly puled her arm away from his grip.

"I just-"

"Shut up!...I'm going to speak and you're gonna listen."

"I had lost friends, my parents, Mike, Andre... I was out there, alone, wandering with the dead. Seeing things that weren't there. I was just as messed up as you were."

"And then I met you...you took me in, showed that there people who cared for me. You gave me a new family...a son and a daughter...and now another child. I was able to trust people again, and be selfless and kind...I was able to do all of that because of you..."

"You weren't the only one who felt something. I did too. Everyday, from the moment I heard you voice. All those months in the prison and after, every time you looked at me, every time I felt your eyes on me, I sensed something familiar. Like I've known you all my life."

"After we talked, after I got back to my room, all I could think of was being with you. I- I imagined you were lying next to me, that you were touching me, running my hands through you hair, being held in your arms...kissing you.."

"But I wasn't sure.. - I didn't know if you - you still had your wedding ring on your finger. So I decided I would talk you about it. And the next day...you have no idea how nervous I was. And when you said you were sorry for not kissing me...I felt happy. You've no idea how much. But it was the happiest I had been in a long time."

"And even if you hadn't...even if you weren't ready."

"I would have waited for you..."

Rick lowered his head feeling ashamed of himself.

"I swear...I swear to God what happened with Jessie was a mistake. And I stopped myself before it happened. After the party, I was wasted. I couldn't even tell the difference between a door and a wall. It was dark, I thought she was you. When we got back to the room, under the lights, that's when I saw her. It was a mistake- "

Michonne raised her fingers to her eyelids, and pressed them together

Slowly, Michonne felt her arms being pulled away from her eyes

Rick raised his left hand and showed her his empty fingers. "I took it off just before coming over to Glenn and Maggie's party. I was ready...I wanted to be with you."

He placed his left palm over his chest "And there you were, all dressed up, waiting for ME! You looked so beautiful. I couldn't believe it was happening. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world."

She bit her lips and looked back at him.

"You always do this to me. You say these things, you make me feel special. Then you look at me with those baby blue eyes, like I'm the only one in the world...and then you break my heart."

"Michonne..." He placed his hands on her shoulder.

She lowered her head and try to shrug them off. "No, I'm still mad at you..."

He held her tighter and pulled her towards him. Slowly, he clasped his arms around her and caressed her back.

Michonne's arms lay reluctantly from her sides as she felt his body press against hers. She felt him pull back her hair and kiss her ears and neck, softly whispering 'I'm so sorry' again and again.

"I know I don't deserve you, especially after putting you through so much pain. But I love you! Alright. And I'm sorry for hurting you so much. I know I'm a screw up and I'm sorry for screwing up things between us-

Michonne shook her head "I'm still mad at you...I'm still mad you..

"I know! And I wish I could take it back. TAKE ALL OF IT BACK. But I can't, and I hate that I can't. I blame myself, I hate myself for what I did."

"Uh-Uh...No...this doesn't' change anything" Michonne replied back as she continued to shake her head. A tear rolled down her face.

"There's no me with you, Michonne. You give me hope, you give me strength...You make me want to live. I'm not scared of the world we live in or about moving forward. But I'm scared of losing you."

Michonne clenched her jaw, "You asshole..."She closed her eyes and felt herself hug him back.

She cried into his neck, sobbing into his shirt. "You're mine..." She clenched her fists and began to repeatedly hit him on the side of his arm and back.

"YOU'RE MINE! And no matter how many times you screw up, no matter how many times you break my heart I'll always be there for you. "

"And I hate you for that. I hate you for making me feel this way-

Rick gently pressed his lips against hers . He started kissing her in gentle impressions, her lips, her cheeks, tasting her salty tears that had run down her face.

Michonne sniffed softly, her eyes remained shut, as she felt his lips over her skin.

"I'm sorry" he said again. "I love you."

She frowned back at him.

"Do you have any idea what you mean to me?" She asked in a whisper. "I respect you, I admire you. I've always looked up to you, as our leader and defended you. When I saw her clothes inside your closet, I felt so completely disappointed. I thought the man I had believed in, the man I had trusted,...the man I had fallen in love with, was nothing more than a cheat - a two timing jerk."

Rick looked back at her remorsefully.

She raised her hands placed it on either sides of his face. "I know you're not any of those things. I still believe in you. I still trust you...and I still and will always love you."

"But you can't ever do this to me!"

"I won't! I swear-"

"-You can't ever do this to me!"

"You're all that I want-

"You're mine, you hear."

"I AM YOURS."

Rick grabbed both her hands and then placed them on his chest "my heart...all of me, belongs to you."

He leaned across and embraced her; he closed his eyes and pressed his face into her bosom.

Wrapping her hands around him, she held him as tight as she could, feeling him breathe into her shirt. She kissed the top of his head and brushed her face against his hair.

The graveyard remained silent except for the soft gush of wind that blew from the West. Rick and Michonne remained in each arms, confined to the tranquility of their surroundings.

* * *

 **A/N: Awwww, ain't they the sweetest.**


	27. Richonne, whenever you miss her

**Hello people! How's everyone doing? Welcome to another chapter to Richonne Always meant to be!**

 **Thank you Anniya Late for you review (and welcome). We're at Chapter 27: Richonne, whenever you miss her. Hope all of you like it. It's kinda sweet.**

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"Let's go back to the house."

Rick remained buried in her chest, motionless.

Michonne looked down at him and gently patted his back "Rick...Rick.."

She pulled up his face towards her. His eyes were shut, but he was still breathing. "Rick, can you hear me?"

...

"What happened...is he okay?" Michonne asked anxiously.

She was back in the hospital wing, this time Rick was lying on the bed as Michonne stood over him.

Christina checked him thoroughly before giving her diagnosis. "He's fine. He just lost consciousness."

"Why, what happened?"

"Uh...take your pick. Regeneration alone could have taken a toll. Then there is lack of sleep, lack of food, all the trauma he sustained from the physical altercation with 'wolves'.

"Add to that, the stress of seeing you dead, the emotional trauma of facing the fact that he couldn't bring you back. Blood loss - he has tore open his stitches. I'm surprised he managed to stay conscious up till now. Probably adrenaline, but now that he's had some time to stop and relax, his body shut down from the exhaustion. Regardless of his ability to self heal, he's till human. He has to die for the regeneration to work."

"So, don't let him die." Michonne replied back in a steady voice.

"Agreed. What he needs now is rest and sleep. I am going to give him a sedative, it's going to put him out for the rest of the day. Then I'll re-do his stitches.

"That goes for you too, you know. You need to rest. If you don't mind I would like to do a check up on you as well,?"

"Him, first." Michonne stared down at Christina.

"Alright, relax. Jesus! You know, you guys have the same 'I'm going to kill you now' stare." Christina added with a smile.

She moved to her side and picked a syringe "Hmm, maybe I should give him a stronger dose. The one before only put him out for 3 hours."

Michonne stood over Rick, softly stroking his hair.

After Christina had administered the sedative she turned to look at Michonne.

Michonne lied down on the bed next to Rick's. Christina slowly started with her check up.

"You're stitches are still intact. I'm pretty sure your kidneys have completely healed. You wouldn't be walking around if that weren't the case."

"What about...the baby?" Michonne asked suddenly.

"We can only know for sure after 2 or 3 weeks. All I need to do is a blood test to confirm it. A hormone called Gonadotropin, HCG. When it shows up, we will know. Right now, it's in the process."

Michonne licked her lips her nervously.

"You okay?"

"Fine. I'm just..." she shook her head with a smile.

Christina continued "Overwhelmed?"

"Happy...and a little nervous." Michonne replied back chuckling to herself.

"You should rest. I would need to do an MRI or an ultra sound to confirm it, but I'd guess that almost, if not, all of your internal injuries have completely healed. All that remains are your external injuries. So you will have to come back here to change the dressing. The wound on your belly will hurt for a few days, but at this point it's just an extensive flesh wound. I can you give some pain killers for them. "

She leaned forwards and touched Michonne's cheek, softly. "There's still some swelling, but the bones have straightened out and healed quite well."

'Will I heal like Rick?"

"No, Michonne. Rick's DNA-"

"I know, he told me."

"Once the fertilization process is complete, the healing process will stop. Both your DNA's will have merged by then. But don't worry, it's done what it was supposed to do. It brought you back - he brought you back."

Michonne smiled at Christina and then looked at Rick.

"Thank you."

"No problem. And, I'm going need more supplies - medicine, equipment...etc. If we are going to move forward like Rick said, we're going to need a whole lot of it. I've used up like 75% of everything I had brought along with me.

"Consider it done."

Christina nodded and then looked at Michonne uncertainly. "Uh..Michonne.."

"Yeah?"

"About earlier, I- I'm sorry. I didn't know... how we could bring you back. After you woke up, when I saw you, I didn't know what was going on. I mean, I didn't have all the information, and then Rick was right there and he looked mad-"

"-So you played it up as his fault...because he didn't tell you that we had sex" Michonne finished for her.

Christina lowered her head in shame. "Yes. I'm sorry. I was just-'

"-sacred?"

"Yeah. I mean, you didn't see what he was like. When I told him we couldn't bring you back, he kinda lost it. Almost shot me. I'm not trying to make excuses here, it was completely wrong of me to blame him like that."

"You were trying to survive." Michonne reassured her. "That's what we've all been doing. That's what it's like out there."

Christina recalled Rick's words from two weeks ago.

 _Rick silently stared back at her, before he responded, "If you're smart as you say you are, you know that I am not going to trust you and your people, until I do. But don't get me wrong, you're part of this community. We will keep you fed, we'll give you shelter and we will keep you safe. But you and your friends are here because we need your skills. So I suggest you focus on that. And, trust is a two way street. So let's not pretend like you're here because you trust us. You're here because you need us, for your SURVIVAL. You mentioned somethin' about restarting civilization – Well we already did. Except now it's called 'surviving of each other."_

Michonne continued "You did what you knew best, cause that's the way this world works. I understand that, so does Rick. But don't worry, we're gonna change all that."

Christina looked back at Michonne in surprise "Did he tell you anything about it."

Michonne shook her head "No. He didn't have to. But I know him - he knows when he's being played. Plus you had just told him that I was going to have a baby."

Christina grimaced back at her.

"Look, it's okay. If it'd make you feel any better, talk to him about it. Not today, maybe tomorrow or the day after."

"I will, I promise. I want you guys to trust me."

"Then, no more bullshit." Michonne fired back at her. "I get it, you're smart. So you don't like to admit when you don't know something. But we can't move forward like that.

"You're right. I swear, from here on out, no more bullshit!"

"Good. Now is there anything else?"

"Hmmm...well, you two have a lot of injuries. So..um..I'd advice the both of you to not to engage in any... 'strenuous activities' for a few days'."

Michonne looked back at her with a complacent expression on his face.

"But I know better, so I'm going to work on his stitches now."

"Yeah, you do that."

Michonne turned on her side and looked across at Rick. Christina was bent over at his side, fiddling with his bandages.

The minutes ticked by, her eyelids drooped; until finally they shut over the face she had longed to see for the last 18 years.

...

 **2:30 PM**

Rick was still asleep when Michonne woke up. She watched him from across her bed as he breathed in out, snoring slightly

 _"Excuse me? who're you calling a kid? I'm twenty...one."_

 _Rick scoffed at her_

 _"Most 21-year old's would be disappointed about losing their mother's earring, rather than worry about what their mothers are going to do to them."_

 _"My guess is that you're still in high school. You and friends recently came into town, and this being a small county, you knew you didn't have to worry about ID's. How am I doing so far?"_

 _She took her time to respond "Alright smart ass, you got me! Happy? Now can you help me, please?"_

 _"hmmm... well you did just lie. As a responsible adult I can't just let you off the hook."_

 _"Look I'm sorry. And you're right about me being in high school. Two days ago, it was my birthday. I just turned 18, and my friends suggested that we should go out and drink. "_

 _"I stay in Atlanta. I don't go out a lot. I am a straight A student and I have the strictest parents in the world. I had just turned 18 and wanted to do something - wild. So I dressed up and went out. Most of the bars here asked us for an ID. So we decided to try our luck in one of the smaller towns. We drove out to the country side and we ended up there. I borrowed some of my mother's stuff (without asking her) and now I managed to lose one of her favorite earrings. The one time I decide to do something fun, I manage to screw up."_

 _"Alright, I'll help you. So what does this earring look like?_

 _"It's a diamond studded piece. It's flawless in design. The earring is shaped in the form of a hexagon, with a gold pin in the back."_

 _"Tell you what, why don't you call me back in 15 minutes on this number, and I'll tell you if I find it."_

 _"OKAY! THANKS!"_

Michonne laughed out loud recounting her first conversation with Rick, as she lay against her pillow watching him sleep.

Gingerly, she pushed herself off the bed and walked to over him. Her right hand moved across his chest and felt his heart beat. Bending over, she kissed him on his lips and softly caressed his face.

"I'm not mad at you, anymore." She whispered to him, smiling slightly.

...

Michonne stepped outside the infirmary and glanced around at the hustle and bustle of Alexandria. The afternoon sun beamed down upon them, basking them it's warmth.

Michonne made her way to Glenn and Maggie's house and knocked on the door.

Maggie opened the door looking teary-eyed.

"Hey! How you're feeling?"Come in." Maggie welcomed her warmly.

"Better. How're you doing?" Michonne asked back.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I was just thinking about what Rick said earlier, about everyone we've lost." She paused to take a deep breath.

"I wish Beth was here. I Wish my Dad was here. He would have been proud to hear Rick say all that. Where is he, anyway?"

"Infirmary...he's fine. He tore open his stitches. He's resting now, Christina's looking after him."

Maggie and Michonne made their way to living room and sat next to each other.

"I wouldn't blame him. We thought we had lost you. Rick looked like he had lost his mind."

Michonne looked around trying to change the subject and noticed the broken down staircase.

"What happened here?"

"Those bastards came in here. One of them tried to jump Abraham. He got his ass kicked, but they had us at gun point. They tied us up, and then we were dragged out."

"I'm sorry we weren't here for you."

"Hey, come on now. It's okay. Rick told us everything that happened. I'm just glad you're here with us, now."

Michonne reached out and held Maggie's hand. "Where the others?"

"New security measures, plans. Abraham and Glenn are holding a meeting. They figured you and Rick needed some time alone. So.."

"Thank you." Michonne replied back.

"I volunteered to watch Judith. She's sleeping now."

"Where is she?"

...

They walked into Glenn and Maggies' room and watched Judith sleeping in her crib.

"So...uh..how does it feel? I mean about being a mother?"

Michonne sighed happily. "Scared, in a good way. It feels like the first time, again."

"What do you mean again?"

Michonne looked at her open-mouthed, wondering where to begin. "I haven't really told you about my past, have I?"

Maggie tilted her head to the side, and grimaced. "No, you haven't."

"I will, but later."

"Alright. I'll wait." Maggie patted her shoulders.

"What about you? Are you okay after everything that happened?"

Maggie nodded her head. "I feel hopeful. I mean you literally came back from the dead. So did Rick. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. But with the way Rick is, we have a cure. We can actually change things."

"Yeah. I feel happy. But then I think of Daryl, Carol and Sasha, and immediately feel guilty."

"Do you think we got soft? Being here, for the last couple of weeks." Maggie wondered out aloud.

Michonne looked towards Maggie and saw the pain in her eyes.

"That why we came here, right? All of us. Finding a place, where we could stop being out there, just surviving. We can't feel guilty about that. What bothers me the most is that they were so close. They had almost made it, with us. After everything we had been through, I just wish we had made it together."

Judith started woke up from her nap, crying.

"I got her.' Michonne bent down and picked up Judith. She cringed slightly as her skin pulled on her stitches.

Holding her close, she patted her back, softly comforting her.

"You're a natural." Maggie remarked.

"It's been a while..." she replied quietly. "Maggie..."

"What is it?"

"Can you..tell me about Laurie? What was she like?" Michonne asked her, hesitantly.

Maggie was taken back by the question. She studied Mihconne's face, carefully. "You know how Rick always makes speeches. He get's up and talks to us, gives us hope and purpose. Takes responsibility over our well being and safety. I have lost count on how many of those I have sat through. But never for once, have I doubted or resented any of the things he's said. Because he always meant it. And he was willing to do anything to keep his promises, to make sure we were safe."

"Laurie was never prepared for that. She found it difficult to accept who he had become and the things he was willing to do. On some level, I think she was afraid of him. Then there was this guy, Shane. Do you know about him?"

Michonne nodded back.

"When Rick said he killed him, that was the breaking-point for Laurie. That's when she realized how much he had changed. That he was capable of killing someone he had called his best friend, some one he had grown up with."

"I think Rick always looked to her for strength. Because, really, he was doing all of those things to keep her and Carl safe. But she could never give him that. Instead he saw contempt and rage. And he started to resent her for it. They had started to drift apart. Laurie was pregnant, we were out on the road, scavenging from place to place, seeking shelter. Rick kept us alive and she was starting to see why it was necessary for him to be the way he was. By the time we found the prison, Laurie was trying to fix things between them, but Rick wasn't ready for it. He just kept avoiding her whenever she tried to talk."

...

 _'When we were together yesterday, I...I said I didn't think you'd ever want me...because I didn't thing I deserved YOU. For every time I screwed up, made a bad decision..for every time I did something that I thought I couldn't come back from..When I did things that scared the others...things that made me afraid of my self...you were always there. You always believed in me...believed that I was a good man and I felt happy...and I didn't think I deserved that.'_

 _..._

"And then one day, walkers got inside the prison. Laurie went into labor. We hid in one of the boiler rooms. Carl had a knife, she asked me to cut her and take out Judith. Carl, finally put her down." Maggie shuddered as she recalled the memory of Lori lying on her back.

"I still remember the look on his face when he saw Judith in my arms. Gun in one hand, axe in another. Him realizing that she was dead, without having a chance to talk to her. Feeling guilty for resenting her. I don't think he ever forgave himself for that. It broke him."

...

 _"And there you were, all dressed up, waiting for ME! You looked so beautiful. I couldn't believe it was happening. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world."_

 _..._

"He did." Michonne said. "He took off his wedding ring."

Maggie looked back at her in surprise. "He did? I didn't ever think that could happen."

"It happened right before he came here, for the party."

"To be with you." Maggie added with a smile. "Laurie was a good mother, and she loved Rick. But she couldn't be there for him when he needed her the most."

...

 _"There's no me with you, Michonne. You give me hope, you give me strength...You make me want to live. I'm not scared of the world we live in or about moving forward. But I'm scared of losing you."_

...

"But you did. We all saw it. When we were out there, when we got back here. How he kept coming to you, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Always looking towards you when he wasn't sure, like when Aaron showed up."

Michonne gave her coy smile as she held Judith closer. "You know she's probably hungry. Why don't you hold her? I'll go make her something."

"No. No. I'll do it. You spend some time with her."

Maggie walked to the door and then turned back to look at her. "Have you had anything to eat?"

Michonne shook her head suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

"Hold on. I'll whip something up."

...

Holding Judith closer, Michonne sat down on the bed and pushed herself up against it's headboard.

Her little hands touched Michonne's face, curiously looking at her.

Michonne smiled and held her hands gently. She gazed over her little fingers and brought her lips down upon them.

Judith giggled at her and then conversed in her own language.

Michonne nodded her head as she listened her speak. "Mmhmm, and then what happened."

She picked up the feeding bottle, Maggie had brought, off the table next to the bed. And pushed it gently against Judith lips.

Judith opened her mouth and began sucking on it.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused to Michone to turn towards the door.

"Hey!" Carl beamed at her. "How are you?"

"I'm great. What have you been upto?"

Carl shrugged at her.

"Me and Morgan were cleaning up the house. The door was hanging of it's hinges, lot of muddy footprints, body parts and blood of those Wolves Carol had killed. Carol's blood..."

Michonne glanced at Carl's dirty hands. "You didn't have to do that. You could have waited for us."

"I wanted to, for you and Dad. Figured it would be one less thing to worry about."

Michonne was taken aback by his reply. "Carl...thank you."

Carl nodded back at her. "I actually just came by to check in on Judith." He glanced over Judith in Michonne's arms, sucking on the bottle of milk.

"Okay then, I'll go and check on Dad."

"Carl, wait. Are you okay?"

"I am, I'm just..."

Michonne braced herself as Carl struggled to form words.

"Is this about what you're Dad said, about me?"

Carl looked back at Michonne. "He said he loves you. Do you love him?"

Michonne waited before responding, trying to study his face. "I do. Very much."

"Does this mean, you two are going to get married?"

It was one of the few moments in Michonne's life when she had found herself speechless.

"That's what people in love do, right? Get married, have babies."

Michonne patted the the space next to her, on the bed. "Come here."

Carl hesitantly walked towards her and sat down. "We haven't really talked about getting married. And we won't if you're not okay with it."

Carl kept his face towards the wall opposite to the bed. Judith, finished drinking her milk. Michonne shifted her position from her lap, and pushed her up to her shoulder. She patted her on the back and heard a burp.

"I'm just worried that he will forget my mom."

Michonne turned to her side and looked at Carl. He was starting to tear up. She reached out with her left hand and rubbed his shoulder.

"Come on. This is your Dad we're talking about. He'll never forget her. What made you even think of something like that?"

Carl raised his hands rubbed his eyes. "..because I did. There were times when I didn't feel like my mom was gone, because... you were always there. Sometimes...I compared you to mom and..and...I kept thinking 'you're better than her'."

Carl voice broke as he openly cried. He covered his face in his hands and weeped into them. Michonne grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it, pushing him towards her. "Carl.."

"I hated myself for it. I love my mom. But sometimes I wished she was like you. She couldn't ever trust me to handle things... "

"Carl, look at me." Michonne touched his chin softly and turned his towards her. "You were barely 5 feet tall when we first met. You had a gun holstered by your side. You stood in attention watching over Hershel, as he stitched up my gun shot wound. You were keeping him safe as he helped a stranger. I saw a brave little boy taking responsibility over his family. Someone who had adapted to the world we lived in. That's one of my earliest memories of you. It was easier for me to accept that you were ready and prepared. So when we were out there, it was easier for to believe that you could handle things on your own."

She softly caressed his back, as Carl began to sob again.

"Your mom never got to see that. Her earliest memories are from the day you were born. Feeding you when you were hungry, changing your diapers, waking up in the middle of the night every time you cried. Staying up until you went back to sleep. Worrying herself about you, every time you got sick or got hurt."

"When you have kids of your own, from the minute their born, your entire life becomes about them. Their hopes, their dreams, their well being - it's all you can every think of."

"Your Mom did what any mother would do. I don't want you to think any less of her. And she's never going to be forgotten. You'll never forget her, your Dad will never forget her. And all of us are going to make sure that Judith know's about her."

She ran her fingers through his hair and saw him close his eyes. She wiped the tears from around his face and then kissed him on his cheek. He blushed and went back to staring at the wall.

Judith started talking again scratching at her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry you were saying something right!" Michonne nodded enthusiastically.

Carl looked sideways and watched her converse with Michonne, who seemed to listening to with rapt attention.

"I'm okay with it, if you and Dad decided to get married." He kept facing the wall, feeling too shy to look at Michonne.

"I think it'd be great. Dad needs you. And Judith is going to need a mom..for all the girls' stuff."

Michonne's whole face split into a grin. "And you..."

Carl's cheeks started to get red. "I'm not barely 5 feet, anymore. I'm fine."

"Okay. But I'm here for you, if you need me."

Carl became silent and listened to his sister play with Michonne. "I...used to.." He squeaked.

"I'm sorry.." Michonne asked having not heard him.

Carl cleared his throat "I used to lie on my mom's lap and she would run her fingers though my hair, like..sort of scratch my head. I miss that. I miss her."

"Hey..." He felt her hand touch his arm. He finally found the courage to turn his face to the side, and look at her.

"I don't know if I can do it as well as her, but I'll always be here to try. Whenever you feel like it, whenever you miss her. Alright?"

Carl kept looking at her without responding.

He then laid his head down, sideways, on her lap and closed his eyes. He felt her fingers through his hair, and was reminded of the last time his mother had done the same for him. They were in the hospital having found out that Rick had been shot. Laurie and him had stayed up the whole night, as the doctors worked on his father. Carl remembered feeling scared and crying a lot. And then laying down his head on his mother's lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, and the fear went away and so did the tears. He felt safe in his mother's lap; he felt brave.

A single streamed down the side of his face, and fell on to her jeans. Michonne held Judith closer to her chest as she softly rubbed his head. She recalled the last time she had seen her son. For the first time, in two years, Michonne didn't cry.

* * *

 **A/N: Dedicated to mine and all our mothers out there. We love you guys! You drive us crazy, when you care too much. You piss us off, when you fondly recall the memories of our childhood - in front of others. But when things go bad, and when we feel broken. Nothing works better than a hug and kiss from you.**


	28. Richonne, Atlanta and Georgia

**Hello Richonne fans! Thank you for your reviews Severelybabykryptonite (Coolest name I've ever heard!), RichonneSlag (it's been a while, nice to hear from you.) BlkPunk311 (Welcome to Richonne:AMTB) and Guest. This is** **Chapter 28: Richonne, Atlanta and Georgia.**

* * *

Carl rubbed his eyes and raised his head from Michonne's lap. He looked at her for a while, and then at Judith.

"I'm gonna check on, Dad."

"Okay. We'll join you."

"Uh, no. I mean, I'd like to talk to him."

Michonne pursed her lips together and raised her eyebrows. "Is it a secret?"

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, just stay here. Alright? Just wait until we get back.'

Michonne chuckled at him. "Okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Carl slapped his hat back on and pushed himself up from the bed. Before he could turn away, he gave a quick peck on Michonne's cheek.

Michonne was caught of guard. A look of surprise passed over her face along with a grin.

"Thank you" Carl said before turning away, suddenly feeling shy.

"Any time, sweetie" She called back, causing Carl to almost bolt out, shutting the door behind him.

...

"So you are like,... Wolverine?"

"Which one was he?"

"The one with the claws. X-MEN, Dad!"

Rick sat up on the bed, as Christina finished examining him

"I must have missed an episode."

"Yeah, right!" Carl replied sarcastically. "Wolverine could heal by himself, too. So he couldn't die, and he couldn't age."

"You see all this grey hair?" Rick pointed at his head. "See the wrinkles around my eyes. I age. I'm not quite like wolverine."

"Whatever. My dad's a superhero!"

Rick laughed at Carl's proclamation. "An aging superhero."

"That's right." Christina added "Regeneration of damaged tissue. So he will age. It doesn't renew his 40-year old skin or organs to that of a 20 years old's. Something the makers of 'wolverine' got wrong. The sad part is that story tellers have always managed to make the best use of scientific ideas, than real scientists."

She looked towards Rick "You're fine. I'd advise you to restrain from engaging from any 'activities' that require too much physical excertion.

Rick gave her the same look, Michonne had.

"Still, it's pretty cool. It's like he's got super powers. How crazy is that?" Carl said sitting on the edge of Rick's bed.

"Not really. Regeneration has been around for a long time."

Carl and Rick looked at her incredulously.

"Bacteria, fungi, they separate their cells and _grow_. Plants - you put a seed in the ground, some fertilizer and water, it grows. You cut off a leaf, it grows back after a while. Reptiles - A lizard can drop it's tail and grow it back."

"That's where scientists got the idea from. Regenerative treatment methods were in conception from the 60's. The difference was that while regeneration in horticulture was pretty straight forward. Regeneration in mammals - like humans and animals needed a host. Like a sperm and an egg, the host being the mother's body. It was called therapeutic cloning.

"If someone needed a heart transplant, or a liver transplant, someone else needed to donate one. However, there was still the risk of the receipient rejecting the donor's organ. Therapeutic cloning would have allowed the person to gown another organ - from his/her own DNA, thereby minimizing the risk of the recipient rejecting the organ, to less than zero."

"This was all theory of course."

"How come it didn't take off?" Carl asked.

Christina pointed at Rick "Evidently it did. Of course what your Dad can do is way more advanced than anyone could ever think of. But to answer your question, people opposed it as blasphemy. Humans playing God! Then there were ethical issues, moral and legal issues." Christina sighed in disappointment

"My point is the idea has been around for a long time. Owing to the controversy around it, whoever did this they probably did it in secret. They were trying to save lives. If this had been done in a controlled environment, monitored and regulated by a governing authority, then maybe, they could have exercised more control over it and prevented it from spreading."

"Or maybe they should have done nothing in the first place. This whole mess, everyone we have lost, it's all because of someone's desire to play God. Saving lives or not, why couldn't the world be the way it was."

Christina remained silent, thinking.

Rick saw the disapproving look on Carl's face. He sighed and then looked towards her."Christina, why don't you go home? Tara's probably waiting for you."

Carl cleared his throat and widened his eyes at Rick, and then nodded his head towards her.

"And.. thank you. I appreciate everything you did here today. For me, for Michonne, for helping us understand the virus. For everything."

She grimaced back at him. "I'm sorry about Michonne. I didn't know that she could come back."

"But you figured it out...I get it."

"Doctors have always tried to save lives. It's kind of our purpose in life. Anything else that happens is unintentional."

"I know. And you're going to do a whole lot more than just save lives. Starting tomorrow, I want you give everyone here, my blood. This way they can be immune to any kind of walkers bites. And then, like you said, you can start work on a vaccine. We'll get you all the supplies you need."

Christina smiled at him. "Thank you, for trusting me."

...

Rick Grimes slid his hand across his son's shoulder and made his way towards Glenn and Maggie's house. He kept looking ahead, picturing his future with Michonne.

Michonne paced the room, holding Judith in her arms. Softly patting her back, she laid the sleeping baby in her crib. And then, almost like a premonition, she walked towards the window, trying to catch a glimpse of him.

* * *

 _The small town boy, from Georgia,_

 _moved forward at an almost feverish pace._

 _The big city girl, from Atlanta,_

 _stared out the window with a child like excitement in her gaze._

* * *

 _The force of the cold evening breeze tried to slow him down._

 _He smiled in deterrence at fate's final test, and stepped harder on the ground._

* * *

 _It tested her as a cloud of a mist surrounded her window, almost like a mirage._

 _But it's couldn't stop her; peering closer she saw them from the distance, and then his visage._

 _Shying away to her side, she clenched her lips together in excitement._

 _She rushed towards the mirror suddenly taking in her appearance in disappointment._

* * *

 _As he started nearing the house, he used his hands to comb back his hair._

 _And then sniffed himself, immediately causing him to pull back his head and swear._

 _"Damn it." he shook his head in mild annoyance._

 _"Body odor' he sighed, realizing for the first time in two years, it's relevance._

* * *

 _She had washed her face and pulled up her hair into a knot._

 _The reflection in the mirror asked her kindly ''Is that the best you got?"._

* * *

 _He climbed the steps to the front door, thinking of their morning conversation._

 _Should he apologize again, or for fainting? he wondered in anticipation._

* * *

 _Her reflection pointed at the baggy and faded T-shirt she was wearing, quite ruefully._

 _Pulling it of, she quickly moved to the closet and put it aside carefully._

 _Spotting a maroon full-sleeved sweater, she pulled it over head and approached the mirror._

 _Just as she heard footsteps outside the room, her reflection smiled, exclaiming "better"._

* * *

 _Once inside, his son slowly pushed his hand from his shoulders, over his head._

 _Teasingly_ _, he motioned his father towards the room on their right, "go right ahead"_

 _He winked at his son gratefully and walked towards the door._

 _"Hey".."How're you feeling" he started rehearsing, looking towards the floor._

* * *

 _Straightening and pulling down on the sweater, she waited in anticipation._

 _"Sorry for being so hard on you, baby..no wait...honey? Oh...how do I begin this conversation?"_

* * *

 _Destiny awaited them, on either sides of the door._

 _With no longer a reason to keep them apart, it couldn't wait anymore._

* * *

 _Turning the door knob he entered, trying to keep his hands steady._

 _She couldn't form words, she couldn't breathe, her chest started to feel heavy._

 _Forgetting everything he had rehearsed, his eyes stung with tears as he rushed towards her._

 _But she reached him first and embraced him, just as he wrapped his hands around his girl._

* * *

 _Pushing up her chin softly, he marveled at the vision of her smiling face._

 _She stared back into those blue eyes, feeling her heart beat race._

 _Moving closer, shutting their eyes, their lips parted_

 _Enclosing them together, t'was a moment they had enamored._

* * *

 _After eighteen years of being kept from each other,_

 _The small town boy, from Georgia.._

 _..and the big city girl, from Atlanta,_

were finally together.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this, as much as I enjoyed writing it! A few more chapters left and plenty more Richonne goodness left.**

 **Wish you all a very happy and fun filled weekend. Oh, spoiler: Carl has a surprise planned for Rick and Michonne (nothing big, but something special), will get into it in the next chapter.**


	29. Richonne, a night like this

**Hey there Richonne fans! Hope you're all doing well. This is quite a special and very personal chapter to me. I think you'll all like it very much. All I want to say is that if you're in the middle of doing something or if your out somewhere...wait until you get home. Wait until you can sit back and relax and take your time with this. Presenting the longest chapter in this fic, here's Chapter 29: Richonne, a night like this. Rated 'M'**

* * *

Rick watched his baby girl sleep peacefully, in her little crib. Bending over, he caressed her head and then kissed her goodnight.

"Carl told me, you and him had a talk. What was that about?"

Michonne shrugged at him, playfully.

He smiled and shook his head "Yeah, that's the reaction I got from him as well."

"He said he needed to talk to you." Michonne said quickly.

"Yeah, he um.."

Rick raised his hands awkwardly to his sides, trying to explain. "He asked Maggie, if she could make us dinner. And then asked Glenn and the others to give us some time alone, for the rest of the evening."

"Oh" Michonne exclaimed in surprise. "Is that why he asked me to stay back here?"

"He didn't want to ruin the surprise. So, Maggie made us dinner. He got the others to help him with the house. Then he came to the infirmary to see me. I had just woken up, and he told me."

Michonne sat at the foot of the bed staring across at Rick, who stood across her, next to Judith's crib.

Rick rubbed his right ear lobe with a coy look on his face "Carl said that he'll be looking after Judith. They'll be staying here for the night. Morgan too. We'll have the whole house to ourselves. Dinner's on the table, right now, getting cold..."

"Rick Grimes, are you asking me out?" Michonne asked him, innocently, tilting her head to the left.

Rick walked towards her and knelt down, placing his hands on her knees. " Michonne Ferai, would you like to have dinner with me?"

She cupped his face, and leaned forwards "I'd love to. Wait...how did you know my last name?"

Rick shrugged at her "...Just a guess.."

"Yeah, right" She said skeptically.

He winked at her "Come on, Michonne Ferai. Your dinner's getting cold."

...

It was almost 7:00 PM, when Rick and Michonne walked out of Glenn and Maggie's house. Arms around their waist, they drew their bodies closer to each other against the cold evening breeze.

A thick plastic sheet had been hung in place of the door. Moving the sheet to the side, they entered their house.

The wall on the side of the archway to the kitchen had the letters 'R' and 'M' painted in red, inside a heart shaped symbol. At the bottom of it were two fresh red roses intertwined, held together by tape.

Michonne grinned in admiration. From behind, Rick brought his hands together around her waist, and kissed her neck.

"Carl said he wanted to surprise his 'new' mom."

She turned her head to the right and looked at Rick, resting his chin on her shoulder. "He really said that?"

"Mmhmm." Rick nodded. " What do you say, we go into the kitchen?"

He gently pushed her forward, still holding on to her waist.

On the table, lit by candles, two bowls of tomato soup. Some garlic bread, sandwiches and cake.

She covered her mouth, overcome with emotion. "I can't believe this?"

"He said he wanted to surprise you."

"I think he meant the both of us." She replied, clutching at his arms.

Rick pulled her body closer and brushed his nose against her ear and her neck, breathing in her scent. Michonne closed her eyes, feeling the air from his nostrils touch her skin. She smiled at the prickling sensation from the stubble around his unshaven face. His hands moved up from her waist, and softly touched her breasts; caressing her nipples through the sweater she was wearing. She could feel him getting hard behind her. Pushing from inside his jeans, his hard organ pressed into her rear end.

Before she could lose her self completely, she reached up and grabbed his hands that were around her breasts. "I thought you had asked me to dinner?"

"I thought we were getting started." he whispered.

"I meant the food." She said playfully. Turning around, she softly rubbed her hands over his crotch and then squeezed it gently "down, boy." She saw a look of pleasure pass over his face.

"Come on" she whispered, taking his hand in hers. Guiding him towards the chair, she pushed him down causing her to bend, bringing her lips closer to his face. Rick couldn't control him self, he quickly tried to grab her lips with his. But Michonne was faster, she pulled back causing him to shake his head in frustration. "You're killing me."

"Have you eaten anything?"

Rick shrugged at her "Not since the party."

"That was 48 hours ago."

"I think I'll survive." He replied back smugly.

She gestured at her self, waving her right hand up and down her body. "Well, you aint getting any of this until your done with your meal.."

"Micho-

"-I mean it." She said trying to keep a straight face.

Rick raised his hands in surrender. She picked up a bowl of soup and walked towards him. Bending over his shoulder she placed the soup in front of him. As she lowered her head, she gently brushed her cheek against his and then quickly moved away to the chair next to his.

Rick made a grab for her ass, causing her to shriek in excitement. Pulling her closer, she fell on to his lap while his left arm wrapped around her tightly.

"You're not going anywhere." he said hoarsely. His arm felt snug around her. She traced her fingers over his sturdy hand, feeling the nerves and the veins running down his wrist and over his forearm.

He reached out and turned her head towards him. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him "Better."

"Does it hurt..?"

She pointed at her waist where she was shot, right above where his arm was. "A little over here and here" - she pointed at her cheek, smiling it at him.

There was a still faint gash over where she had been kicked. Rick felt his right fist clench as he looked over it. The vision of her lying dead was still etched in his memory.

Michonne saw the change in his expression, from sadness to anger and then to guilt. She enclosed her fingers over his bandaged clenched fist. "You know, you could kiss it and make it all better. In fact, I'm kind of counting on it."

She felt his fist un-clench and the touch her fingers lightly. He raised his hand towards her cheek. "I'm sorry, you had to-"

She shook her head "Shh..I don't want to talk about it." She clasped his hand pressed against it against her cheek, closing her eyes. "All I want to do is just think about now, being here with you."

They began their meal, feeding each other. She sat on his lap, eating from the same the plate. The candle light bounced of his face; she looked over the bruises he had sustained from his fight with Wilson. The elegant patches of grey in his hair and soft wrinkles around his eyes. She softly caressed his face, her fingers brushing over the cuts on his flesh.

Although, he was smiling, Michonne could tell that something was bothering him.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

He hesitated, rubbing his forehead and then gesturing his arm at her. "We're here, Michonne. We're finally here, together. But I feel nervous and I don't know why."

"Come here." She whispered, opening her arms. He laid his face against her chest as she put her arms around him, protectively, one arm around his shoulder and the other behind his neck. Kissing the top of his head, she pressed her cheek into his hair. "Maybe it's because we've been waiting for this moment our whole lives...whether we've known it or not, and now that it's here, we are finding it difficult to believe it is."

"Does that make sense?"

Rick sighed into her chest "Maybe.."

"We saw each other die, Rick. You dug me out of a 'grave' and mourned over my body, thinking that I was gone from this world, forever. And I watched you as you bled to your death...desperately trying to to find a way to keep you alive, knowing that I couldn't. And then I had to..walk away... and come back here..like it was nothing..because you asked me to...because you wanted me to be strong."

Rick pulled back his head to look at her. She stroked his hair, stopping to hover over the cut around his eye.

"We're here because we lived through it, Rick. We had to die to have this moment. We lost a part of our family, and the rest of them are out there protecting us...so that we could be here... This...is real."

He looked into her face pondering over what she had said. As she continued to stroke his hair.

"This is real." He repeated

She got up from his lap, and extended her leg over it. Sitting back down on his lap, facing him, she placed her hands around his shoulders. "Now, I'm nervous." She said biting down on her bottom lip, showing a little bit of her teeth.

Rick looked at her, almost in a daze. He eyes glanced between her eyes, her nose and her lips, taking in her beauty. He touched her face, slowly tracing his fingers from her forehead, over her eyes and noses, touching her lips and then under her chin.

Turning her cheek towards him, he kissed her, opening his lips over the cut on her cheek. "Mmmm, I feel better already." she said stroking the back of his head. She sank her face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm all sweaty and smelly." He laughed.

She brushed her nose against his neck, and licked the sweat of his skin. "You're delicious..."

Rick could feel her grinding away, slowly, at his crotch. He felt himself get hard and pushed himself against her causing her to exclaim in surprise. He grabbed at her skin, tighter and harder, running his hands over her arms and then down her back. Until his fingers reached down and felt the waist band of her jeans. He pushed both hands in deeper, penetrating her sweaty underwear, feeling the crack between her ass. Slowly, he ran his fingers down the middle brushing over the skin. Reaching the end of the curvature he grabbed both cheeks and squeezed them.

"AH!" She cried in pleasure, closing her eyes and arching backwards. Her dreadlocks hung down from her head, as she continued to grind at him harder and faster, holding on to his shoulders. She interlocked her legs around the legs of the chair Rick was sitting on. He pushed her towards him, her hands came up from his neck and clasped around his head, clutching at his hair. They kissed, sucking on their tongues, salivating against each other.

"..Take off your clothes..." He exclaimed, breathless. She pushed herself of him, her legs wobbled as she stood up for him to see. Her panties felt absolutely soaked as she looked back at Rick. Criss-crossing her arms, she pulled off her sweater over her head.

Gazing over her luscious firm breasts, Rick licked his lips as his eyes lingered over her erect nipples. As her hands moved down to remove her jeans, Rick stopped her "Turn around..." he rose up from the chair, pulling apart the bandage around his right hand and walked towards her.

She turned around as he grasped her breast, twiddling his thumb and his fingers over them. His right hand then made its way down her sternum, pressing into her ribs and then over her navel, and down to her crotch, rubbing his fingers over the fabric of her jeans. She clasped over both of his hands, forcing them to press deeper. He unbuttoned her jeans and then pulled her zipper down; pressing into her wet panties causing her to bent slightly. He kissed her shoulders and then her back, his tongue brushed over her skin, tasting her sweat and the warmth of her body. Squatting down, he pulled her jeans and her panties to her feet in one fluid motion.

"Spread your legs apart."

She felt herself blush as she heard the aggression in his voice. She moved apart her legs, as far as the jeans around her ankles would allow her to move.

"Now, bend over."

Michonne obeyed him; feeling increasingly turned on at the thought of exposing her body to him. She placed her hands on the table, bending over for him to see. For a few seconds, there was absolutely no sound from Rick, as if he was taking his time to look at her exposed rear end. She waited in anticipation, enjoying the moment of shame and dominance.

SMACK! A slap from behind caused a jolt of pleasure to run throughout her body. She clenched her cheeks together, in reflex. And then she felt another one, and another. Sweat poured down from her forehead and hit the table on which her fingers lay.

Rick crouched down and softly kissed her on the spots he had spanked. He then clasped around her left ankle, raising it to remove one leg of the jeans and her shoe, then moved on to her right. As she stood on one leg, he kissed her on the heel. moving his lips over to her shins and then tracing his tongue over her calves. Her juices trailed slightly from her labia, down her thighs. Sucking into them, he raised himself, pushing apart her legs. She closed her eyes as she felt him lick her, with long strokes of his tongue.

She felt a shiver reverberate throughout her entire body, with each stroke. He held her in place by firmly placing his hands on either sides of her hips. He raised his head higher and softly bit into her left cheek and then kissed her right. He heard her squirm in excitement as he continued to bite into them.

Grabbing her hips, Rick turned her body towards him as he stood up. Michonne's gripped his arms to stop herself from falling. Breathing in and out, she looked at him as they stood face-to-face. Pushing her naked body against him, she kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue.

Rick's hands moved up from her hips, over her side, and rested them on her back. Turning to his left, he walked briefly as they continued kiss, pushing her up against the kitchen wall. Their lips broke apart; his lips trailed down her neck and sucked on her erect nipples. Michonne clenched the back of his head as she felt his tongue over her sensitive nipples and then his teeth, playfully, bite into them.

Moving further down and stopping at her navel, he circled her belly button with his tongue. He gazed over the area in which she had been shot. The healing process had merged her skin with the stitches forming a scar across her belly. He softly traced his finger over feeling its length and thickness, and then pressed his lips against it as he clutched around her waist. He felt her finger brush down the back of his head, holding him close.

He gripped her hips as he moved down further and enclosed his mouth over her clitoris, sucking into it. Grabbing her thigh, he pushed up her leg higher to give his mouth more access. As he dug in with his tongue his nose brushed over her public hair, breathing in it's scent, all the while tasting her juices.

Michonne felt like she was ready to come. She quickly cupped under his jaw and looked into his blue eyes. "I want to see you...step back and take it off..take it all off."

Rick smiled at her and kissed her labia before standing up. He took a few steps back as he started un-buttoning his shirt.

She shook her head at him "Your pants, first."

He gazed over her body as she stood against the wall. Against the candle light her heaving breasts rose and fell rhythmically with every breath she took. Tiny trails of sweat, glistened against her skin as the trailed down her body. Her legs were pressed together, slightly covering the wisps of pubic hair.

His hands moved in a frenzy, un-buckling his belt and then his pants. As his pants, dropped to the floor, along with the colt python. The gun went off on impact with the floor. A single bullet shot forward and the hit the corner of the wall, causing Rick to shudder in surprise.

Her eyes widened, briefly, and her shoulder hunched together in surprise at the sound of the gun. And then she burst out laughing covering her mouth in shock as she looked at him. Rick Grimes looked flushed as he stood there looking back at her with his pants around his ankles, wearing only a shirt and a stupid grin on his face, all the while his hard-throbbing penis pointed straight at her, expectantly.

She rushed towards him, giggling as she asked "Are you..Ok-ayyy.."

Before Rick could reply back he heard Abraham's voice "Rick...Michonne.."

Rick and Michonne grimaced at each other and ran towards the front door. He tried to move as quickly as he could with his pants around his ankles. Moving aside the plastic, enough to show his head and his torso covered by his shirt, Rick looked back at the small crowd of people who had gathered around with guns.

"Everything all right?" Abraham asked looking confused.

"Yeah...yeah.. absolutely." Rick said, as he nodded his head, trying to keep a straight face.

Michonne stood behind him, covering her mouth as she laughed, silently. She looked down at his exposed butt and pinched him. Rick felt himself clench, in reflex, as he blushed.

"We heard a gun shot." Abraham inquired.

"Hmmm..uh..my gun went-I mean my gun fell down and hit the floor. It went off byyyyy-"

Michonne's hands made their way around his waist and grabbed his organ. Her left hand softly caressed his scrotum, while the right stroked his penis. She pushed her self against him, kissing his shoulders.

"-yy...acci-DENT" Rick finished looking back at Abraham, wishing he would go away. Michonne's hands felt absolutely heavenly. He wanted nothing more to turn around and pick her up.

Abraham continued to look at Rick briefly and then smiled and winked. "You heard him, false alarm." He assured the rest of them and they started to disperse. Glenn and Carl had slowly made their way towards the house, but Abraham waved his hands at them to tell them it was nothing.

Rick closed the plastic sheet and let out a sigh of relief. Michonne's hands were still stroking him as she whispered. "Now, take off the shirt".

He turned around and stepped over his pants, kicking them off his feet. Moving forwards, he kicked off his shoes and un-buttoned the rest of his shirt. She backed away, watching him, as he kept walking towards her. As he took off his shirt she stopped, widening her eyes at bumps and bruises he had sustained in the fight. She softly touched them, running her hands over his torso, and then looked at him in sadness.

He smiled and shrugged at her. "It's nothing."

She embraced him and closed her eyes, melting into the heat between their naked bodies. "I love you." He hugged her back, "I love you, too."

She moved back her head to look at him. "You know, I don't think I ever got to thank you for saving my life."

"You being here is all that I need." He said touching her lips with his thumb.

"I got something more in mind..." She said playfully.

She started kissing him over his chest, her hands exploring his body, and then slowly made her way down.

"Michonne...I've never done that..." he said breathlessly as her mouth neared his erection.

She stared back at him, one hand on his organ.

"Me neither..."

He watched her beautiful face stare up at him and then turn to her side. Her lips opened over the side of his length and softly kissed it, running her tongue down the side. A little bit of his hair got into her mouth. She stuck out her tongue and pulled it out with her hand.

She smiled awkwardly up at him.

Rick shook his head, smiling. "You don't have to.."

She licked her lips "I want to...every inch of it", her eyes reflected back at him passionately.

She moved back her head and looked at the head of his penis. Readying herself, she opened her mouth and engorged the tip. Slowly, tasting him, feeling him inside her mouth.

Time seemed to come at a stand still for Rick. Maybe it was her tongue, or maybe it was just the thought of her sucking him. Whatever it was, it felt absolutely incredible as she repeatedly slid her mouth over him. Occasionally, he felt her teeth brush against his flesh. He moaned closing his eyes

She stopped and pulled her mouth of him "Did that hurt?" She asked looking anxious.

"No...It's perfect. You're ...perfect..." Rick said assuredly, trying to catch his breath. Michonne blushed a little and looked back at his length. Before she could open her mouth again, Rick reached down and kissed her, tasting himself for the first time. They fell back on to floor as he spread apart her legs, ready to enter her.

Grabbing her thighs he pulled her closer. He penetrated her slowly, feeling her insides contract around him. He started moving back and forth at a steady pace.

They continued to kiss, moving their hips together as they made love. Their lips broke apart and they looked at each other. Rick started to increase his pace, thrusting forwards harder and deeper, as Michonne cried out in pleasure.

The injury to his ribs started to ache in protest. Rick felt himself slow down, biting down on the pain and pleasure he was feeling. She grabbed his ass cheeks and clenched her fingers over them. "Don't stop...Don't stop...oh...Yes..YES.."

He groaned as he moved faster, not stopping to think about the pain. Rick grabbed her arms and pinned them down; Michonne moaned in pleasure as she felt every inch of him inside her. Powerful waves of orgasm swept throughout her body multiple times as Rick kept thrusting into her.

Finally, clenching his jaw, he ejaculated; pumping his thick load of semen deep into her. His body jerked a few more times, as she felt the final drops seep into her. He collapsed over her, as she lay on the floor feeling light headed, staring up at the ceiling in a dazed.

"That was..." he tried to form as their sweaty bodies lay against each other.

"...incredible..", his voice broke as he finished.

Michonne started laughing, staring up at the ceiling, feeling a sense of gratitude and joy. And then as the laughter died away, she started to break down. Tears rolled down the side of her face, as she covered her mouth with her right hand. Her body shook with tiny jerks, as she tried to control her tears.

Rick raised his head to look at her; he looked just as broken as she was. He wiped her tears away, and then caressed the side of her face. He shifted his weight, off her and lied down on his side. With his left he pulled her into a embrace, as she weeped into his chest.

After a while, she felt something wet and thick as she lay against him. Looking down she saw that he had torn open his stitches again.

"Aw shit.." Michonne muttered.

"Ha!" Rick laughed, as he looked down himself.

"You could have just told me...I would have stopped. I'm sorry, I didn't-" She said as she pressed her hand over the wound, with a guilty look on her face.

"Hey..Hey..I wanted to, alright..."

She turned her head to look at him.

He smirked at her "Besides, it was worth it...every wonderful second of it."

Clenching her lips together, she slapped him on the side of his leg and shook her head.

"Michonne...I can never say 'no' to you..."

She looked at him, wordlessly, and raised his hands to her lips.

"In that case, lie down and don't move. Let me see if we have some bandages."

Michonne found some bandages in the kitchen and brought it back to the living room. Rick lay spreadeagled and naked on the floor. His eyes were shut, but it opened the minute she entered.

As she worked on his wound, Rick reached out and started to play with her breasts, pressing her nipples. She saw him get hard again and smiled at him.

"All done." She announced, finally, and looked down at his hands that still were on her breasts. "Come on" she said, taking his hand in her her's. "Let's go to bed."

"Really?" he asked looking excited.

"Take it easy, cowboy. We're going to sleep. You need to rest." Michonne replied in a definitive tone. "Come on."

She helped him and they walked towards the stairs, arm over each other. Once they made it to his room, she sat him down on his bed and grabbed the towel that lay on the floor.

 _"ROUND 2!" Rick said breathlessly, as he turned around and pulled her up by the arms. As she got up, he embraced her as tight as he could - his right around her, his palm against her back. His left on the back of her head, pushing her towards him, savoring her mouth with his._

 _And then there was a knock on the door._

 _"Dad." Carl called through the door. " You up?"_

 _Rick and Michonne, both tuned around to look at the door. An annoyed expression formed across Rick's face. He looked at Michonne who broke into silent laughter._

 _She caught hold of his penis and whispered into Rick's ear, "Yeah, he's up."_

 _Rick grinned back at her, and shook his head._

 _He called back to Carl "Yeah...hold on."_

 _Michonne quickly ran into the closer as Rick scooped the towel of the floor and tied it around his waist._

 _He turned to the side, to hide his erection, before opening the door half way._

 _"Sorry, Carl. I was taking a shower."_

 _"Okay Dad, I though we could have breakfast. Is Judy up?"_

 _"Carol took her last night, remember? Why don't you head on downstairs and get started with breakfast? I'll be down soon."_

 _"Okay Dad." Carl replied back and moved towards the stairs._

 _Rick closed the door and turned around to see Michonne, naked, walk out of the closet._

 _He peeled the towel off him "now where we?"_

Rick looked around the room, thinking back to yesterday, when they had made love for the first time. The fight...Michonne walking out in anger. Did all of that happen yesterday morning, he wondered. He rubbed his eyes, realizing how tired he felt.

"Come on, let's get you washed up.." She extended her hand towards him. Michonne walked him inside the bathroom and sat him over the closed toilet seat.

She took the showed by it's handle and turned on the tap. Rick closed his eyes, feeling the water rush down over him, as she began to wash him. Rick kept kissing and grabbing, as her naked body moved around him scrubbing him with soap. Feeling her hands over him, he started to get erect again. She stroked him, covering him in lather. He pulled her closer and repeatedly kissed her, completely mesmerized by her presence.

He pushed towards the protruding edge of the tub and asked her to sit down. As they sat face-to-face, Rick started to soap her up, running his hands over her skin taking in her beauty, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. Michonne kissed him softly over his injured knuckles and the palm of his hands.

Once they were done, they dried themselves and then walked towards the bed. Michonne laid him down and then said "I'll be right back."

Michonne entered her room and made her way to the dresser. She still had the powder and the perfume Rosita had given her, from the evening, before the party. She applied it over her body and then looked at herself in the mirror.

She was reminded of the time she had first looked into a mirror, right before leaving to see Rick.

 _When the bell rang at 3 PM, she left school with the thought of driving home, freshening up, and then driving down to the party._

 _Once at home, the thought of meeting Jeff sounded exciting. Not only did she freshen up but she put on a black cocktail dress that her friends described as 'sexiest thing they had ever seen"._

 _With her back turned towards the mirror, she craned her neck backwards as she tied the straps of her dress together. She turned around to look at herself. The dress fit perfectly around her body, accentuating her figure. The dressed reached right above her knees, at her mid-calf's. She looked down from her kness to her toned legs in high heels._

 _'Damn! I look hot. Would this be too much for a college party?'_

Michonne laughed, as she watched her reflection do the same, fondly recalling the memory of that night. The difference was she wasn't 18, and she had no dress on to check out.

She returned back to Rick's room and closed the door behind her. He was waiting for, half of his body under sheet, while the upper part of his torso was propped up against the headboard.

Michonne walked towards the bed and pulled the sheet off the other side, and lay down next to him. As soon as she covered herself, they snuggled closer under covers and the embraced each other warmly.

Michonne yawned and laid her head over his chest. She secured her arm around his wait and slowly closed her eyes. Rick secured his hands around, as she lay over him. He kissed the top of her head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Michonne..."

"hmmm.."

"You smell good."

Thank you, sweety."

"Michonne.."

"hmmm.."

"I was thinking...the living room, the kitchen, the shower...we've never done it on the sack..."Rick said in an innocent tone.

"No, we haven't have we." She nodded, feigning a tone of surprise. "Then again, considering everything that's happened to us, that would've been too normal for us. Besides, you need to rest. We'll do it after you're better..." She raised her left leg and placed it over him, brushing her crotch against his thigh while rubbing his penis with her knee "...as much as and as many times as you like to ..." she giggled softly against his chest.

He laughed along with her, rubbing his hands over her back. Rick's thought about what she said, recalling the first time they met.

"I wanted to see you that night." He continued.

Michonne opened her eyes and realized what night he was talking about.

"It's okay...maybe it wasn't supposed to happen..."she said as casually as she could.

"Jeff was my little brother. It was his party. I had just started out at the Sheriff's office; having completed 3 of the six-month probationary period...Michonne, I was shy...I was a cop and you were a kid in school...coming to a college party. I just didn't want to seem like a weirdo, especially not to you."

"It's okay...I mean I was mad at you back then. But I was a kid...I grew up."

She patted him on his arm softly.

"It's not okay.. Mich-ELLE...?"

Michonne smiled and pushed herself up, lying back on his pillow. Rick turned his side to give her more room. They lay facing each other "That was my mother's name. You weren't the only one who was nervous. And I wasn't going to give my real name to a complete stranger."

Rick moved closer and kissed her "...only dress up and drive out 50 miles into the country side, on a school night?"

Michonne grinned at him..."Well, you sounded so sincere and charming. Like someone I could trust. I had to see you..."

"And I wanted to see you, too."

"But you saw Laurie, instead. And then you married her..."

Rick grimaced at her.

"That's what you were telling me right? That night, when you were talking about Laurie."

 _She gestured towards Judith "Why don't you give her to me? Let me try."_

 _Rick leaned forward and handed Judith over to Michonne. He felt his skin brush against hers, in the cold night breeze. He felt light like the wind, and happy to be close to her._

 _They walked together in silence, Rick observed Michonne hold the baby close to her chest. Judith looked cozy in her arms, safe and quiet. Michonne rubbed her back softly and walked slowly next to him._

 _"You're really good at that. It usually takes me an hour to put her to sleep"_

 _Michonne nodded quietly. She looked at Judith in her arms, and then at Rick walking besides her._

 _"I was thinking of her mother, my wife, she died giving birth to her. It happened a few days before you got to the prison. I went a little crazy after that. I always blamed myself for not being able to protect her. Her name was Laurie...we met at a party. I was actually supposed to meet someone else that night."_

"I was supposed to meet you.." Rick said guiltily.

"I remember her." Michonne said suddenly. "After I reached, I went over to Jeff. As soon as he started talking I knew that he wasn't you. When I called him out on it, he pointed me in your direction. Your back was turned to us, a brunette was standing in front of you. That was Laurie, right? I don't remember her face, but I remember her being a brunette."

"Yeah, she and Jeff were friends. Jeff wanted to spend some time with this girl...Lavanya...who was a friend of Laurie's. So he asked me to spend some time with Laurie. Apparently, she liked me...so.."

"That morning, before the wedding, Jeff asked me if what would happened if I had met you that night. I kept thinking about it all the way to the church, even when I was waiting for her to walk down the aisle."

Michonne looked back at him, lying in his arms. "It was a long time ago..."

"I know, Michonne. A long time ago...time that we lost. When Jeff told me that you had come for the earring and how you had left, I felt so damn guilty. You know, he was telling me how beautiful you looked - in his own particular way. God, I never got to see you in that dress..."

Michonne laughed "Yeah.. I loved to wear that. A few weeks later, I gave it to the cleaners. They ruined it." She said in frustration, covering her face.

Rick held her closer, stroking her back. "I'm sorry to hear that. And I'm sorry, for hurting you...the first time."

Michonne lowered her head as he held her protectively, in between his arms. " It's okay." she whispered.

"Al though, I kind of wish you had answered my call. Maybe we could have sorted things out-"

"What call?" she asked suddenly looking into face.

" I called you the very next day, around 8 or 9 in the morning."

"Didn't your friend.." Rick stopped talking seeing the confused expression on her face.

"Michonne,...I got your number through a friend who was working with the phone company. I asked him to check all the calls that were made to the bar, between the time we talked that night."

"Drove down to Atlanta early in the morning, found a payphone, spent a few hours on the phone book trying to find the number. When I did, I looked up the name and address next to it...Samsonn Ferai."

"Oh GOD! Cindy!...what did you do...what did.." Michonne exclaimed, closing her eyes in shock.

"Who..?"

"I remember now. I had woken up the next day, feeling completely lousy. Then Cindy came over, she wanted to know what had happened. And then the phone rang...I was going to the bathroom because I was crying"... she groaned in disappointment..."I asked her to get it."

"Oh...well _Cindy_ sounded really mad at me. Said you didn't want to talk to me. I thought you were standing right next to her, telling her the same."

Michonne shook her head. "Cindy was like my sister. When I told her what happened with you...she got all protective. Oh my God...I asked her who it was...and she said it was a wrong number...damn it..."

He looked outraged. "That call was for you. You deserved to know about it."

"Yes, she nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It was Cindy...she...I can't believe this."

"Michonne, I...I drove down to Atlanta to see you. I was in town, when I called. I wanted to see you because I wanted to apologize...to let you know that I felt...I don't know.. drawn to you...and the only reason I didn't drive to your house was the thought that you didn't want to see me." He covered his head forehead and closed his eyes. "We lost almost 20 years of our lives...20 years we could have been together...because of the people around us..stupid mistakes and misunderstandings."

"Don't say that...You can regret it."

"Michonne...how can you-

"Was Carl a mistake? Judith?...your life with Laurie..your marriage? Do you regret all of it?"

"...no...but I regret not being with you, Michonne..." He touched her face and kissed her.

"I know and I wish Cindy had told me...may be I would have called the bar again and asked for your number..."

"But it didn't happen. And I went to college, became lawyer. Met Mike, had my Andre. You met Laurie, you got married, had Carl and now Judy...none of that would have been possible if we had got together."

"We had to wait for the right time. I'm alive today because of that."

"And now we have responsibilities...the community, the cure. How many more Wilsons and Governors and cannibals do we have to face? Do you really think everyone out there is going to be on board with the idea of going back to the way things were. Order and peace. Laws and rules. They'll no longer be able to take whatever they want. We're going to have to deal with that Michonne.

"Honestly, Michonne, sometimes I...I resent it..being the leader..."

"Rick, look at me...you wouldn't be human if you didn't. It's okay, that's what I am here for...we're all here for. We can do it together, just like you said."

They laid in silence, reminiscing about the past and thinking about the future.

"You know before I was shot, before I ended up in the hospital, I was supposed to meet your Dad." Rick said smiling. "There was this case-

"-Jackson vs. Leroy" Michonne completed.

"Fuck, me!" Rick exclaimed, half-annoyed and half-amused.

Michonne laughed, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'd be happy to oblige." She teased.

"It was you...the sheriff said that I'd be meeting your Dad."

"My Dad was in Ohio at the time. So he asked me to handle it. He said a deputy from the Sheriff's office would bring the case files. I didn't know who, at the time. But I should have figured it out the moment I got stood me up. You were the only one who ever did that to me."

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry.."

"Relax...I was just kidding...besides it's kind of our thing right? You break my heart, and then I get pissed. You chase me...and then something else happens."

"No, really...that's the day I got shot...I ended up in the hospital."

"Oh..." Michonne stopped smiling. "I didn't know."

Rick sighed, looking glum.

"How long before we get to live for ourselves...How long before we have a night like this?" he asked her.

Michonne traced her fingers over his chest. "Remember what you said in the barn, before Aaron showed up...?"

He looked at her with a blank expression.

"We do what we need to do, and then we get to live..."

He looked at her in marvel, wondering how they had missed each other all their lives. He kissed her lips and laid her on her back.

"In that case, we better get started" he whispered, smirking at her.

 **...**

 **1 hour later**

With battle scars and wounds all over their bodies. With enough losses and victories to last them a life time. The two warriors finally lay to rest under the sheets.

With his right arm clasped firmly around her body, while she lay with her back against him holding on to his arm. It was first time Rick and Michonne slept together, on the same bed.

* * *

 **A/N: Been waiting to write this one since chapter One. Four more chapters left and will update the next one on or before the New Year. Wish you all a very Merry Christmas.**


	30. Richonne, we do

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! Richonne fans! Thank you Kam and RichonneSlag for your reviews. Now's let's begin the New Year with**

 **Chapter 30: Richonne, We do..**

* * *

 **4 Months later**

"I think I can hear the baby.." Carl said with his ears pressed against Michonne's belly.

Michonne smiled as she sat by the stairs to their house.

"How long until...uh... it comes out.."

"Maybe about 5 or 6 months. Are you excited about being a big brother again?"

Carl shrugged. "Yeah...I mean Judith, is gonna need someone her own age to play with...

"...and you're going to have another sister or brother to care for..."

"Yeah, that too..." Carl said, with a shy smile. "So..have you decided on a name?"

"Well, your Dad and I talked about it. And we think if it's a girl, it's going to be...Andrea and if it's a boy...Daryl."

"Wow! I love it..."

He looked towards the distance and saw his father.

"Why does Dad do that?"

"Do what?"

Michonne turned to where Carl was looking. Rick was standing over Carol's grave with flowers in hand.

"Everyday he stops by and places flowers by her grave. Just her's...and it's always roses. ...why does he do that?"

She sighed and paused to watch him, as he stood looking over her grave.

"You remember that night, Glenn had this party with your Dad and Daryl and Abraham?"

"Oh yeah..." Carl laughed. "Glenn's bachelor party..."

"Yeah...well that night Daryl told your Dad that he likes Carol. He was planning on telling her the next day...but he wanted it to be romantic...so he said he was going to tell her by handing over a bouquet of roses."

Carl turned back to look at his Dad, with a look of understanding on his face.

"I asked Carol that day, about what was going on between her and Daryl. I wasn't trying to be nosy, but...I just thought that they deserved to be happy. She was about to tell me something but that's when Jessie came in and told us about...Daryl...that we were being attacked."

Rick bent down and placed the bouquet of roses at her grave.

"Do you believe in heaven?" Carl asked Michonne. "I don't. But I wish there is a place like that...somewhere we can all see each other again, when we are all dead."

Michonne reached out and embraced him with one hand, as she felt Carl hug her back.

"Maybe there is a place like that...maybe Carol and Daryl are there right now, together, watching over us along with Sasha, Bob, Tyreese...your mom...my Andre...everyone we've lost."

...

 **5 months later**

"Riiiiicccckkkk" Michonne screamed in pain.

"He doesn't know Michonne...he's doesn't you've gone into labour...he's out there fighting for us...But this baby can't wait...I need you to push, Michonne" Christina implored.

Gun shots echoed from outside of Alexandria.

"Rick...AHHH" Michonne pushed harder, sweat and tears running down her face.

The door burst open and Rick entered the room, blood all over his clothes and face.

"Oh God..."Rick exclaimed and rushed towards the bed that was closest. He quickly wiped the blood off him.

"What happened..UHH...AHHH"

"You need to push harder..." Christina replied.

"I AM.. AHHH." Michonne screamed again. She felt him take her hand and place his fingers in between her's.

"I'm here baby, I'm here.." he whispered. "Maggie just told me what happened."

"Where..is she...where is her son...are they okay? What about our kids?"

"They're fine. She's looking after them now. I only found out about you when I got to them.."

"AHHH..."

...

"She's beautiful." Rick cooed as he held his baby girl in arms, kissing her forehead.

Michonne lay against the pillow, with her eyes shut and a smile on her face.

"Andrea...Andrea.." Rick playfully called out, rocking back and forth the chair he was sitting on. "She looks like you, her face, her hair-

"-except her eyes, she's got her father's eyes." Michonne said breathlessly, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

Rick leaned across and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Michonne raised her head, and kissed him again.

"Let me hold her again"

Rick placed their daughter in Michonne's arms. She looked at her with tears of joy and held her closer.

Rick watched his girls, fondly, thinking back to the night he had carried Michonne's lifeless body back to Alexandria. "Let me go get Carl and the others."

"What happened out there, Rick? Were we attacked?"

"Yes...Aaron saw them first. They were following us trying to find out where we lived."

"You mean people from the outpost? the people we saved?"

"NO. This was another group...there were 8 of them. When they heard the warning from Aaron, they just started firing at us."

"Was anyone-" Michonne asked anxiously.

"-No." Rick shook his head. "No one from our side."

"And them.."

"I didn't want to, but they gave us no choice."

He got up from the chair and started pacing the room. "Maybe we should stop, for a while.."

"Stop, what?.."

"Yeah...all of it. Sending out messages through the radio...the outpost."

"That's 30 miles away, Rick."

"And yet some of them made their way here. The whole idea behind having the outpost was to keep this place safe. I didn't want to make the same mistake like the people at Terminus did - invite strangers to where we lived.

Michonne looked back at . "Do you remember what you said, the purpose of the outpost?"

He nodded. "Expansion of civilization."

"Exactly. You didn't want to risk this place, so we found another place far from here, where we could broadcast our messages...take people in...give them shelter, food hope...and above all the cure. "

"I wanted all of that so that we could establish communities. Pockets of civilization that could eventually allow us establish safe zones...then the city...the state and then maybe the entire country." Rick said with a hint of regret in his voice.

"And now you don't?"

Rick paced his hands over his head and sat next to her. He looked over at his new born sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms. "I'm scared, Michonne."

"How much time did we spend setting up that place...walls,..supplies, the constant travelling back and forth."

"...4 months" Rick said licking his lips

"How many new people have joined us, at the out post?

"33."

"That's 33 lives we've saved, 33 lives who wants to go back to the way things were. People who were wandering out there, looking for hope. As long as we have that, as long people want to change, we can't stop."

 **6 Months later**

"Now, relax and squeeze the trigger..." Rick said standing behind Michonne.

"I know how to use a gun." Michonne snickered, holding her hands around the Colt Python as she pointed at the bull's eye on the wall.

"Not as well as a sword." Rick replied bringing his hands around her shoulders, and enclosing them around her's. His kissed the side of her face. "I just want my gal to be safe."

"HMMM...It's heavier than the others."

"I know. This is mostly used for close range shots..more damage..more noise..But if you can learn to make long range shots with this, you'll have more control with the recoil and accuracy of other hand guns. After that we can move on to rifles."

"Okay, baby. Let's shoot." Michonne said happily.

They practiced a few rounds until Michonne was able to hit all her targets.

"How was that?".

"Perfect"

"Well, thank you. You got anymore bullets?"

Rick checked his pockets. "Yeah."

Michonne opened the gun chamber and extended her palm towards him. One by one he handed over the bullets, as she loaded them into the chamber of the gun. As she was about to load the the sixth and final bullet, She froze briefly as she saw a small wooden box . She opened it and saw a diamond ring; the stone was a bit jagged around the edges and the metal looked like it had been melted, in the form of a circle, to hold the stone.

She froze, blinking hard, looking at it. She turned back to look at him with a mixture of emotion and surprise on her face.

Kneeling on one knee he looked up at her "..been making that for a while now. Found the stone in the woods and then melted copper to form the ring. I know you deserve more..but..

He held his right hand to his chest..."I wanted to make that for you. See I've had this crush on you since I was 23... And I've been in love with you for a couple of years...the kind that makes me look at the skkkyyyy and wonder about the birds and the shape of the clouds..."

Michonne bit her lips, trying to control her tears and laughter.

Rick grinned at her..."I know I can be difficult and stubborn, at times...Sometimes I do stupid things. But not so much since you've come into my life. What I'm trying to say is...I love you, Michonne...I LOVE YOU...so much that I...

Rick started laughing again, this time he had tears.

"...so much that...I wanna save the world! For you and our children... You make me happy...in fact the only way I can be happier is... if you marry me.

He paused to wipe his nose.

"Michonne Ferai...will you marry me?"

She sniffed and laughed in joy, recalling the first time she had heard his voice.

"Yes.." she nodded. "Yes...You've kinda had me at 'hello'.

Rick got back up on his feet and pulled the ring out of it's case. She extended her left hand towards him and he slid the ring on to her finger.

"I love you." She whispered.

They leaned in and kissed as the final light of the setting sun washed over them.

 **2 months later**

It was a breezy evening as Rick sat in front of Daryl's grave. He closed his eyes, and felt the wind on his face.

As he did, he thought of his vows.

 _'The first time we met, I was a broken man, who peered across a fence and saw a threat. As I walked closer, our eyes met, I saw a woman, who seemed as broken as I was. I couldn't leave her out there. You became a part of my group, and then my family. As I saw you care for my children, I discovered a friend and a partner who I could lean on for support and comfort. Little did I know that you were the same person I practically thought of everyday, for most of my life._ _And then I fell in love with you. You saved me, Michonne. You gave me a reason to live. There was a time, when I existed only to protect my children. But now, I want to do more. I want to live to experience the incredible woman that you are. I want to live to love the beautiful woman that you are, everyday for the rest of our lives._

 _At this moment, I feel fortunate to have found you, and to have you love me back. I stand here before you, and I can see the future. You, me, our children - our family. I pray that I am lucky enough to experience all of that and more with you, in this life and the next.'_

...

Michonne sat up straight as her three bridesmaids - Maggie, Tara and Rosita - helped her get ready. She looked at herself in the mirror: she had her dreadlocks removed and had her hair cut to her shoulders. Michonne gazed over her curly hair that lay across her shoulders, and then at her white flowing sleeveless dress.

"You look beautiful" asked Tara.

She turned back around to look at her. "Thank you...for everything."

"We're family Michonne. That's what we do." Maggie gushed happily.

"Can we...hear your vows." Roista looked at her expectantly, her own thoughts on Abraham and what she had told him about wanting more.

Michonne looked at three of them and then nodded. She took a breath and began.

 _'I had lost some one precious and some one I loved. A part of me had died with them. I roamed with the dead, as one of them, having let gone of any kind of reason to live. Then I met you. You gave me a family, and a purpose to go on. I met your son, who put me in touch with my maternal feelings. And I regained someone precious that I had lost. Soon, I started looking at the you again. In you I saw a loving father, a courageous leader, a friend on whom I could depend. You made me smile, you made me care. And then you stole my heart, just like the first time you did when I was in school._

 _Rick Grimes, I love you for giving me friends and family, for giving me a son and two daughters, and most of all, your love and affection. You wiped away my tears, healed my wounds, and made me whole again. You're my knight in shining armor who saved me, in every way I could be saved._ _And now you are giving me a whole life to look forward to as your wife, your companion and your partner. You are my biggest blessing, and my happiness. And no matter where life takes us, I will follow your lead - into the darkness or the light. 'Cause no matter where we end up, we'd be together.'_

As Michonne ended saying here vows, she saw the tears of joy in the eyes of everyone. They wished her the best, and continued with getting her ready

...

"Hey dumb-ass!"

Rick turned around to see his best man walk towards him. "Nervous?"

He laughed briefly as Glenn sat down next to him.

"I feel excited." Rick replied.

Glenn smiled and placed his arm on his shoulder, like a wise old man.

"Kids...Give it time. "

Rick nodded in acknowledgment.

Glenn looked towards the grave. "I wish he could have been here. I wish everyone could have been here."

"Me too."

Glenn clasped around his "Come on, the bride's on her way."

...

Rick stood in church, waiting for Michonne to walk down the aisle. He laughed thinking of the last time he was here.

 _'Would I be standing here, today, if I had met her that night?"_

As the doors to the church opened, everyone turned to see the flower girl walk in - Judith, along with Maggie carrying Andrea in her arms.

Then came the groomsmen - Abraham and Morgan along with the bridesmaids.

Finally, Michonne walked in with her most dazzling smile. She was the most beautiful bride he had seen. Carl was the one to walk her down the aisle, to give her away to Rick. He couldn't think of anyone more perfect.

Rick turned ever so briefly, and looked at the crucifix and the Jesus Christ that was hanging from it. For a second he was back in the church in the outskirts of Georgia. The Church they had come across when Sofia had gone missing. He remembered asking for a 'chance'. He looked up at the face of Christ, and said ever so quietly, "Thank you!"

Carl kissed Michonne's cheek and then shook his father's hand. "Take care of her." Carl said gruffly, like an old man.

Rick nodded, keeping a straight face, as Carl placed her hand in his palm.

"Ready"?

She squeezed his fingers, gently, and said, "ready."

* * *

 **A/N: Have a wonderful New Year, everybody. God Bless YOU! We're getting close to the epilogue. Can't wait to share it with you guys.**


	31. Richonne, What we need to do

**Hello Richonne lovers! How are you all doing? I had to step away for a while due to personal reasons. But I'm back now and here with a brand new chapter in Richonne: Always meant to be saga. Hope all of you like Chapter 31: Richonne, What we need to do.**

* * *

 **5 months later...**

"Negan!"

Abraham spat out in contempt.

'..Sonofabitch means business. He wants to destroy us...everything we're doin..."

Rick clasped his hands together and observed the nervous looking Abraham. Christina had patched up most of his wounds.

He turned to look at Michonne, who nodded her head at him.

"What happened?"

"He killed them...everyone at the 2'nd out post."

"EVERYONE?" Rick growled in shock.

"Me and Glenn barely made it out alive." Abraham continued.

Rick sat back in anger, closing his eyes. "Tell me everything...

 **4 months later**

Not fort the first time in his life, Rick stared down the barrel of a gun. But it was one of the few times he was staring at the end of his own gun. The man who was pointing it at him had a look of relief on his face.

Rick was calm as ever as he looked back at him. "It's over, Negan! This war..your group.."

They stood in Negan's quarters, the two sizing each other up. Rick had walked in to be tackled by Negan, who had taken his gun.

"FUCK YOU, BITCH! It ain't over till all of you are dead."

"To what end?" Rick asked as calmly as ever.

Negan kept looking around him. Rick's calmness was starting to make him nervous.

"What are you?" He asked him. "I shot you up, put six bullets in you 3 months ago. And the very next day, you were up like nothing had happened to you?"

"And for the last 3 months we waged a war that cost the lives of both our people. And today, you lost. You ran back here because you were scared..leaving your people out there to die. They're all dead Negan...every last one of them. You are all that's left!"

"ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!"

Rick looked back at him and smiled. "What I am is a man in love. And that love keeps me alive...no matter how many times you try to kill me or take what I have..YOU WILL ALWAYS LOSE. I came here, alone, to give you a way out. Surrender..and I won't kill you.."

"Yeah! right...after all the people I killed...you're just going to let me go."

"I didn't say that...I said I wouldn't kill you. But my people, the ones in Alexandria and at the outpost, they trusted me to keep them safe. But I failed them, the least I could do for them now, is to punish you."

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? THE WORLD IS DEAD! WHAT ARE YOU PUNISHING ME FOR? WHAT IN THE DICK'S PISS OF HELL ARE YOU DOING? This is how the world works, now. Nothing you do can change that. You don't mess with the new world order. PERIOD"

"I WILL...cause I can.."

"Why?...because of you're magic blood...When I first heard the rumors, I didn't believe it. But then I saw you alive, the next day after I shot you...SO I'm going to ask you again...WHAT are you? TELL ME! Or we're going to find out just how many times I am going to have to kill you to stay dead."

He tightened his grip and pointed the colt python at Rick's head.

Rick sighed in defeat as he stood facing Negan, with his back to the window. "I already told you...I'm a man in love! And that love keeps me alive." He Raised his left hand and pointed it at Negan.

Negan frowned in confusion. And before he could even blink, a single bullet passed through the window behind Rick.

It pierced his skull, and Negan fell back dead on the floor.

Rick retrieved his gun off the floor and then turned back around to look out the window. Michonne stared out the window of the building behind the one he was in, with a sniper rifle in her hand.

He heard static on his walkie and then her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. You saved me...as always." Rick answered back.

Michonne closed her eyes in relief and held her radio close to her chest. "Is he dead?"

"Yes...it's over, Michonne."

"Good...'cause we can't do this anymore, Rick. You can't do this to me anymore."

"We've talked about this, Michonne."

"You take too many damn chances-"

"-Because I can..."

"...I understand why you have to...but you have to understand that you are not completely invulnerable."

"I do understand it...but I got a better chance of surviving than anyone else..and it's like you said we can't stop."

"I'm not asking you to stop, I'm asking you to be CAREFUL. Can you do that? Can you do that for me?"

"Michonne...

"Rick...I'm pregnant!"

Rick Grimes paused to look at Michonne, as she stood with the palm of her hand against the window.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of walkers. Rick and Michonne watched them from the second and floor of their respective buildings, as the dead piled in from outside. They looked at each other, from across the two buildings they were in, with walkers right below.

Negan and his group were finished, and his 'home' was now completely taken over by the walkers.

"Alright, I'll be careful" Rick spoke into his walkie. "Now, let's go home."

Michonne nodded and turned around.

"Hey..."

She turned back around to look at him.

"I'm happy...we're gonna have another child."

Michonne bit her lips and then looked at him. "I'm happy too."

"What do you think? Boy or a girl?"

"I think..." Michonne paused and smiled at her husband. "I think it's a...'Daryl'."

...

 **2 Years later**

5 Year old Judith Grimes stood in the kitchen of the Grimes household watching her father, as he fed rice cereal to her 3 year old sister, Andrea.

"Is Andrea's skin black, because of Mom?" She asked innocently.

Rick paused, holding the spoon in his hands, just over Andrea's mouth. He turned to look at his daughter, who was patiently waiting for an answer.

"Yeah...her skin is like mom's."

"Okay." Judith pursed her lips, deep in thought.

"How come I didn't get mom's skin?" She asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Andrea look so much prettier...she's like mom! And I'm-"

"-like me." Rick grinned at her. "You're like me. Don't you like being like me?"

Judith hugged her dad as tight as she could, suddenly feeling sad, wondering if she had hurt him. "I do...I do."

"I just wanna be pretty." She exclaimed. "Daryl's got white skin, so does Carl and me. Andrea is the only one like mom. It's like... she's special."

"You are pretty! You're very pretty. Rick laughed thinking of Laurie ' _Don't worry Judy. You take after your mother.'_

"Listen to me Judy, people...not all but some people, are going to look at a person's skin and then decide how to behave with them. It's wrong to do that, you know why?"

She sniffed her nose as Rick wiped her tears. "Why?"

"Because it doesn't matter - the colour of your skin, what you look like, where you're from. It should never matter! We're all the same. We're all human. Everyone should be treated with love and respect. And no matter what a person's skin looks like, that person is always going to be someone's sister, or brother, or son or daughter or father or mother. You wouldn't want someone to treat Andrea badly, just because her skin's different from yours?"

"No." She shook her head vigorously. "She's my sister."

"Exactly. So always remember that okay?"

"Okay, dad." She smiled at him.

"Your mom and I love the four of you just the same. You guys mean everything to us. And YOU, you're not just Andrea's sister, you're her BIG sister. Which means you have to be responsible for her. Mom and Dad's not always going to be around, that's why big brothers and sisters are there for. They're supposed to take care of the younger ones."

"I'll be respondisible...responsivle...for Andrea. I'll look after her, I promise."

"That's my girl." Rick lowered his head and kissed Judith's forehead.

Rick continued to feed Andrea.

Judith suddenly thought of another question "What did you mean when you said you and mom and not always going to be around?"

 _'Damn it!'_ Rick cursed himself, inside his head.

"I'l take that one..." Michonne's warm voice sounded across the kitchen. Daryl lay in her arms, sucking on the bottle of milk, she was holding to his mouth.

"MOM!" Judith rushed towards her.

Rick looked back at her, as she entered the kitchen.

She smiled at him and nodded.

...

As they lay in bed, Michonne turned to look at Rick.

"It's time to tell her about Laurie."

He tuned on his side and propped himself on his right hand. Rick reached across and held Michonne's fingers that lay flat on her waist.

"We can wait, give her a few more years...wait until she's older. "

"No..she's growing up...she's going to have more and more questions. People here know that you were married before, and Judith and Carl are not my...people know that I didn't give birth to them. I think it's best that we tell her before she finds out from someone else."

Michonne breathed in and closed her eyes.

"Michonne...

"She can't ever know about Shane...not now ..not ever."

"She won't. Carl, Maggie and Glenn won't say anything. And...I haven't told Christina anything about Shane..except that he was my best friend and that he died from a walker bite."

"Okay...but she can't ever know about him and Laurie...it will crush her. She's going to feel alone."

Michonne paused to rub her face. "If it's just about Laurie, then it's just me... at least...she'll know that...she still has her father..."

Rick looked at Michonne as she struggled to hold back her tears. "No...she's not going to feel that way-"

"When we tell her about Laurie, she's going to look at ME. The woman who fed her, bathed her, changed her diapers, taught her how to use the toilet... sang to her to sleep and kissed her goodnight...- and realize that I am not her real mother...When she realizes that she's going to turn to you first. You'll have to make her feel that her world hasn't fallen apart. That her father is still here."

Michonne took a deep breath as she finished speaking. Rick watched her in silence, trying to control his tears, trying to be strong for her like the many times she had done for him.

"She's my baby! No matter what. But when we tell her, things are going to change for her. She grew up all these years believing me to be her mother...and I think...I did too.."

"You'll always be her mother, Michonne. She-"

Michonne turned towards him and wrapped her arm around his waist. Silently, she cried into his chest. "Just give me a minute Rick...Just let me cry, just let me cry..."

 **1 Year later**

"MOM...Can Andrea and I go over to play with Hershel and Oscar.." Judith asked Michonne, as she and Rick sat out on the porch watching over Alexandria.

"Sure, honey...have fun." Michonne replied, holding Daryl in her arms.

They watched as Judith held Andrea's hand and walked towards Maggie's house.

"Abraham's going to propose Rosita, tonight. "Rick whispered to Michonne.

"Really?About time! Oscar is three years old, it's time his dad and mom got married."

"Hmmm..."

Rick watched as Daryl played with Michonne. He smiled at his son and then looked up at his wife.

"There's something I've been thinking of the past few days."

"What's that..?" Michonne asked as made faces at Daryl.

"I want to take Washington.. the city first and then the entire state."

Michonne looked at Rick unsure is she had heard him correctly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Washington...the perfect place to re-start civilization. It's the capital of the country, it inspires patriotism, hope for the future. It's same reason why you wanted to come here. All those years ago, at Shirewilt Estates...you said let's go to Washington...because you believed that capital would be the best chance for our to survival. You believed that we would find sanctuary here and you were right!"

"What exactly are you saying Rick?"

"We kill every damn walker in Washington...clear out the entire State...establish a safe zone - the whole of Washington as a safe zone."

Michonne sighed and looked down at Daryl. Rick got up from his chair and took Daryl from her arms. He held him securely in his arms, as Michonne looked up at the two from her seat.

"You don't think it's a good idea?"

"...I think it's a great plan." She said halfheartedly.

"But..?"

"It's just...These last three years have been so peaceful. After Negan, I thought it was over..being out there. Or maybe I wanted it to be over."

"You said we can't stop, as long as there are people to be saved."

"And we've saved a lot of people, Rick. We have started two other communities, people are there now, living their lives, just as we are here. And we found other communities like us. Everything is going so well. There aren't any psychos anymore trying to kill any of us."

"Except for the walkers...and they'll always be there."

Michonne turned her face away.

"Michonne, I don't want a world where our kids have to grow up behind walls. I want them to be happy and free...to be able to dream and hope.. and grow up without fear...or if not them, then their kids. I want to go back to the way things were..like it was for us when we were growing up."

"I want those things too...But, maybe I'm selfish...but I...I can only think of us right now, our family."

"I am doing this for all of us. You and the kids will be safe, over here. I'll be the one out there."

Michonne folded her arms and looked at him. "You want me to sit here and play the housewife..?"

"NO! That's not what I'm saying-

"-Then what are you saying, Rick?.

"I want you take over for me...be the leader. We can't restart civilization if all of us out there, fighting like savages. It needs to start, here, before we go out there. So that people know what we're fighting for."

Michonne looked at Rick, plainly, trying to understand what he was saying.

"We have survived the worst things that have happened to us, we have fought wars and killed our enemies. We have a cure to the walker plague, we can grow food, we can make bullets, we have established communities, we are educating our kids, we have found a way to live our lives here. All of that needs to go on...uninterrupted, while we are out there fighting. You as the leader can ensure that, because people are always going to need a leader to show them a path, give them purpose and hope. Now, in addition to all of that, given your background as a lawyer you can incorporate rules and laws of a civilized society. With consequences - a system, a constitution...better and more meaningful than it used to be."

Michonne sat back in her chair biting down on her lips, thinking.

Rick sat down with Daryl, on the chair next her's. "I believe in you, Michonne. You are a leader, you've always been one. I saw it all those years ago, when we were in the prison. But you kept to yourself and only spoke up when you needed to."

"Because you're the leader, Rick. I respect your decisions and your opinions."

Rick nodded his head. "But you didn't always agree with them." He added with a smile.

Michonne laughed along with him. "No...I didn't. Because sometimes...they were downright insane! Like the one you're talking about now."

"Glenn, Maggie, Morgan, Tara and Rosita will be here to help you with everything. They're all fine leaders, but they are the kind that becomes your friends first. You can't just be a friend you need to be strong and be able to make the tough choices. You can do that, Michonne, better than any of them."

"Okay...let's say, hypothetically, we do this. Why do you need Washington? I mean I understand when you talk about the capital of the country being a place of hope but we can do that here, with Alexandria. We've been doing that for a while now. Why do you need the city.?"

"Alexandria and all the other communities are gated, protected by walls. It is a reminder of how we are living now and of all horrible things we had to do to survive, to make it this far. We need to go back to how we used to live - in cities and houses - our homes, our family! As for Washington, I want the White House!

Michonne laughed, all of a sudden. "You're the leader, Rick. You don't have to sit in the Oval office and declare yourself as the President. We all believe in you, we all trust you."

Rick grinned at her "Come on...you know me better...That's not my intention. That's not why I am going after the White House."

Everything we've been able to do, growing food, establishing communities, finding other communities, all of that have been possible because of people! And if we are to do more, if we are to go back to living the way we used to, we're going to need help. I mean, how did the internet work? how did we use smart phones? how do we drill for fuel? what about all the satellites we have in space? Medicine, science, the economy? money, value of currency? Most of us don't know how any of those work. We need help...we need to reach out to more people. By that I mean, survivors in other countries."

"The messages we've been sending out have not been enough to broadcast to the entire world, or for that matter the entire country. It has a limited range. The White House will have the equipment and resources necessary to establish ourselves in more credible manner. What we need to do is get into the White House and broadcast the message of the cure, about the vaccination Christina had made. The world, or whoever is alive out there is bound to come here for that, in return for the cure they will help us with what we need."

"Oh my God!" Michonne exclaimed.

"Yeah! But before that we will need to clear the city of all walkers or any kind of threat."

"I see it now, Rick. We can broadcast that we have an entire city that is safe to live in, a civilized society, with food and people working together-"

"-inspiring more hope and assurance for the rest of the world." Rick finished for her.

"With help from outside, we can rid the entire country of walkers...and then the world. People are going to find ways to reach here and then together we can build the future, or pick-up where we left of. 2010, that's when all of this began...that's when the world ended. The year is 2016, but we are practically living in the stone age, now. What ever fuel we had has is no good anymore, it doesn't work..some form of corrosion. We need to get fresh fuel out of the ground, refine it...but before all that, before we can do any of those things-"

-We need a stable society." Michonne continued.

"Which is why you staying back here with Glenn, Maggie, Morgan, Tara and Rosita, ensuring that everything we've done goes on, while we are out there fighting. The rest of the communities will follow you and help you in what you do here."

"Even Caleb and Ezekiel? They set up their communities by themselves. They reached out to us because of the cure." Michonne asked in doubt.

"And now, they trade their supplies with us ." Rick reassured. "That's how I got the idea. People can't live alone! Neither can communities and neither can countries. We will always need each other. Believe me, they will cooperate and they will work with you. Before I leave, we will go meet with them and we'll tell them what we are planning. I'm going to need a few of their fighters, we are going to take a few people from here as well. I am thinking a group of 50 people should do it. We will need to plan it out. Like I said, I have been thinking about it for the last couple of days. But I haven't really dotted all the 'i's' and crossed all the 't's."

"Whose 'we', Rick? Who are you taking with you?"

"Abraham, and...Carl."

"CARL! NO, no way."

"He's 18."

"He, still a boy. He's my boy and he's staying here with me."

"Michonne..."

"Rick, no."

"Just listen...Last month, after we celebrated his birthday he came to me. He said he wanted to..do what I do. He has grown up in this world, he was out there on the road with us, he's ready and you know it."

Michonne shook her head. "So you're going to take your son, out there, knowingly, to fight walkers."

"I'm taking him out there, with me, because he's no longer a boy. He's a man - stubborn and reckless, just like I used to be. If I don't take him, he's going go out there by himself. This way he'll be with me, I can teach him, I can show him the way because he wants to be the leader, someday. Personally, I don't want to take him. I want him to be here, safe, helping his mother with the responsibilities and duties she has to carry out as the new leader of Alexandria. But I can't make him do that. He's a grown man and as his father I have to let him make his own choices."

"I still don't like it, Rick." Michonne replied sadly, thinking back to the 12-year old face of Carl.

"Dadaa.." Daryl called out suddenly. It was his first word.

Rick and Michonne stopped their argument to gaze at Daryl. They laughed together as their son, repeatedly called out to 'dadaa...'

They looked at each other, as they son sat in between them. Rick kissed her cheek softly and moved closer to her "I know, I'm asking a lot of you. The kids, managing the communities, the people.."

Michonne sighed and closed her eyes, feeling his body against hers. "How long..? How long do you think it's going to take?"

Rick looked at her, widening his eyes.

"Tell me, Rick. How long are you going to be out there? How long do you think it's going to take you to clear out Washington, and take the White House?"

"We can stay in contact..we can use the walkie-talkies and the radio to stay in touch.."

"How long do our kids wait before they see their father and brother, again? Because they are going to ask me and I am going to have to tell them something. And I, as strong as you think I am, I'd still want to know for myself how long would I have to wait before I see my husband and son again."

Daryl touched his father's face softly, while his mother looked up at his father; her brown eyes brimming in sadness as she stared into his blue ones. He held her gently around her waist and pushed her closer. "I don't know. But nothing is more important to me than you and the kids. So if you think this is the wrong decision I won't do it. If you don't want me going out there, I won't do it."

Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head. Rick embraced her with one arm and laid his head on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent, feeling his beating heart against her chest. She interlocked her hands around him and whispered for him to hear.

"It's not the wrong decision. And I don't want you going out there, but I know you have to because I know you. So if you want me to stay here and take care of our kids, be the leader, look after the communities, wait for you and Carl to come back...I'll do it. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for my husband, for the father of my children, I love you, Rick...so go save the world and then come back to me."

...

* * *

 **A/N: Michonne's the best! God, I love writing her!**


	32. Richonne, and then

**Hello Richonne fans and lovers. Thank you Richonne Slag, Shunnie is fine and Guests for your wonderful reviews. This new chapter is a long one. There are few surprises in store and a few twists and turns. Oh and it is rated 'M'.** **So sit back, and let's begin**

 **chapter 32: Richonne, And then...**

* * *

 _It took over a year for Rick to plan and form his group of fighters. Ezekiel and Caleb, leaders of two other communities said they would support Rick's plan and agreed to work with Michonne, as the new leader of Alexandria._

 _When Rick asked them if he could give them a few of their people, they said he was free to talk to them, but they couldn't and wouldn't ask as their people because they didn't believe in his cause. What Caleb and Ezekiel didn't count on was how persuasive Rick could be. During the war, with Negan's group. Rick had gotten to know some of the people of there. So when the time came to decide who he wanted with him, he_ _identified and hand picked those, who he believed would stand by him, to carry out his vision._

 _And then finally, they left having said good bye to their families, with the promise to come back and lead them to civilization. One year passed by since Rick, Abraham and Carl left, along with fighters from the other communities to conquer the city of Washington. Michonne led her people with aim and purpose, both in Alexandria and at the two communities Rick had established. She set up a system of justice and equality, that renewed faith in civilization and gave them hope for a world where they could be free again. Without the need for walls or weapons, without the need to kill. She taught the children of Alexandria, to dream and to be ambitious as ever; preparing them as the citizens of tomorrow. Her people respected her just as they respected Rick. They believed in her just as they believed in Rick._

 _Daryl was 5, Andrea was 6 and Judith was 8. Judith realized that her mom had responsibilities and people to take care of. So she took it upon herself, as the elder one to care of her brother and sister, just like her Dad had said all those years. Sometimes, from sheer exhaustion, Michonne found herself sleeping at the table or while doing the dishes. Judith was always there to help her and together they became a team, that allowed Michonne to balance her duties as a mom and as the leader. Maggie, Rosita, Glenn and Tara helped out as much as they could. No matter how much Michonne did, she always discovered that there were still things to be done._

 _As promised, Rick stayed in contact. He told her stories of the constant threat and challenges they faced out there. The wild and crazy people they would come across; who tried to kill them for reasons best known to them. They were out there, fighting, 50 people against the entire population of Washington who had turned into walkers along with the crazies and psychos they came across. They celebrated their anniversaries and birthdays through the radio. They told how much they loved each other, reminded themselves the importance of what they were doing. Whenever they felt weak, or were in doubt they gave strength and hope to each other. But then, one fine day, their transmission seized._

 _2 year passed by, there was absolutely no contact from him or the others. Daryl turned 7, Andrea 8 and Judith 10. Michonne felt afraid, wondering if the worst had happened. She tried the radio over and over again, everyday, but there was no contact. People in Alexandria and at the other communities came to her for answers, fearing that her husband had led their husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, brothers and sisters to death. Rosita was one of them, but she chose to stand by Michonne ensuring them to do the same and have faith, that one day all of them are going to come back. Secretly, Rosita along with her 5 year old son Oscar, went to see Michonne one night, to ask her if they were all dead; if her husband and the father of her son was never coming back. Michonne embraced her friend, as she cried silently, and told her honestly that she didn't know but she believed that they will indeed come back._

 _As time passed, Ezekiel and Caleb grew restless and angry at Rick, wondering if their people were dead. And so began a period of cold war. They directed their anger towards Michonne by being negligent in their commitments to Alexandria and it's two other outposts. But Michonne had anticipated this in advance, so before the cold war began, she and others had visited the other communities and learned from the people there to melt iron; so that they could make utensils, and to grow and make cotton; so that they could make clothes. And other skills the residents of Alexandria had lacked in._

 _Rick's plan to start farming had paid of, they had all the food they needed, but sometimes, during winters, they would run low on stock. Glenn and Michonne would carefully sit out and plan for such situations; rationing food into even proportions, ensuring everyone was fed._

 _There were times when Michonne considered marching into Ezekiel's and Caleb's communities and kicking their asses, but she needed them. Rick was counting on it. They couldn't go back to way things used to be, and she was the advocate for change. No matter how hard things got, she couldn't go back to old ways of savagery and dominance. And most of all, she knew she couldn't let Rick down. So she endured, she planned and she executed her responsibilities to the best of her abilities. She still believed he would return one day and he would lead them into the city of Washington, ready to begin fresh, ready to re-start civilization._

 _The trade routes between the Alexandria and the other communities that were kept clear and devoid of walkers, were affected. Ezekiel and Caleb ignored the route to Alexandria, allowing walkers to stray through. But Michonne remained resilient as ever. She, along with Maggie and Glenn, Morgan and Rosita, over a period of 5 days fought tirelessly until they had cleared the pathway of all the walkers that had stumbled onto it._

 _After she had cut down the final walker, Michonne and the others made their way to both communities with the regular trade of food supplies Alexandria (she) had agreed to. She knew that it was important for her to be an example to others, irrespective for her personal feelings, and so she decided to hold up her end of the deal._

 _Covered in blood and guts, they made their way into Caleb's community as the residents stared at them in shock. Caleb was too ashamed to look Michonne in the face. There were million things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to yell and punch him till he bled; but Michonne didn't do any of that. Instead, she walked towards him and extended her hand. He finally looked her in the eye and shook her hand, nodding his head in respect. As she walked out, she saw it, the look of respect and adoration in the eyes of his people. She knew that look, it was the same she had for Rick when she was in prison. She had won over them. And so, she did the same with Ezekiel's community. It took her a number of visits, but finally she succeeded in renewing their relationship, and effectively ended the cold war that had waged on for the last 6 months._

 _That night, after she had reached Alexandria, after she had been congratulated and applauded by her people for her success and her brilliance, after she had tucked in her children for the night, and after checking in on the night patrol team - who reported that everything was quite -_ _she got up on highest tower._

 _Most of Alexandria lay asleep as Michonne watched over them. The cold wind blew against her face. Michonne recalled their 'goodbye', that morning in their bedroom, before Rick had left. She had cried that day and he had wiped her tears away, holding her in his arms._

 _Michonne enclosed her arms around her body, holding herself, whilst looking into the distance, praying and hoping that he was on his way._

"Mihconne...?"

She took a deep breath trying to regain her composure and when she felt ready, she turned around.

Glenn smiled at her warmly and walked towards her. "You okay?"

"Fine. I thought you and Maggie were asleep" she tried to reply cheerfully.

"I was with Eugene. He wanted my help... Something wrong with the dough machine, said he couldn't make any more bread without it. Who would have thought Eugene would have become so useful. First, bullets, then guns, now bread. Man's life saver..."

Michonne nodded. "Yeah, he's great."

"I saw you walk over here...just wanted to say, what you did today was amazing."

"Thank you, Glenn."

"Are you okay?"

She shrugged at him "I'm fine."

"Okay. " Glenn nodded with his hands in his pockets. He looked over her face and then clenched his lips together.

"Michonne, I know I'm not Maggie, but you do know that I am your friend, right?"

"Of course. You're my friend." Michonne grinned at him.

"Okay...so I'm going to come over there and hug you, so relax and don't say anything..." Glenn walked towards her.

"No, it's okay, I'm fine-" Glenn hugged her softly, holding her close. Michonne stood silently in his embrace, not moving, not breathing. And then she closed her eyes and hugged her friend back, allowing herself to be comforted, as she thought of her husband and her son.

...

"Hershel's sad every time Judith, Daryl and Andrea has to leave. I think it's time he had a brother or sister of his own."

Michonne smiled and looked at Glenn "How old is he..7-8?"

"8!" Glenn said, with an almost shocked expression.

"It's okay, Glenn. We're all getting older."

"Wow! I'm 34 years old. I was 24 when all of this began."

Glenn sat next to Michonne, almost speechless.

"Hey," Michonne interrupted his thoughts. "I thought you came here to cheer me up."

"Right, sorry. So...uh...'knock knock?'

Michonne laughed "who's there?"

"Doctor.."

"Doctor who-oh I see...okay.." Michonne chuckled.

"Hey, come on I came up with that in seconds. If you want the 'A' material, you got to give me sometime."

"Sure, I understand." Michonne nodded sympathetically.

Glenn smiled at her and then went back to staring at the night sky. " Maggie and I have been talking about having more kids."

"So what's stopping you?"

Glenn shrugged his shoulders. "We never planned to have Hershel, but we did have him and we are happy. But then I think about the wolves and Negan...it's never over for us...it's never going to be over for us."

"Glenn, Andrea and Daryl...me and Rick never planned for them. But we had them and they're here now. Growing up, everyday, in front of my eyes. Things have been peaceful for the last fours years. We are stronger than before, we can protect this place...keep our families safe."

"That's just the thing, Michonne. 'WE' have to do everything." Glenn looked at her; there was almost a look of accusation in his eyes.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean it like that. But it's always us, getting our hands dirty, going out there all the time. I mean, we're here for you. We will stand with you and face a 100 Negan's or Wilson's or Governor's. We'll do it, again and again. But the rest of Alexandria, you keep them in here. You make sure they are fed and protected. The route to Caleb and Ezekiel's were full of walkers, you asked US to come out with you. And we were out there for 5 days, fighting, while the rest of Alexandria was in here safe and sound."

"You don't have to do that Michonne. They are not like before, the way they used to be before we arrived. We trained them, they know how to fight, they know how to protect themselves."

"I know." Michonne replied quietly.

"Do you remember the first day, after we got here? After being out there for so long?"

"Yeah." Glenn replied.

"We found a place that had walls, that kept us safe from the walkers. We had a place that had house to live in, we had bathrooms to wash our selves and beds to sleep in. And it was scary...being able to let your guard down. Being able to fell safe, being able to relax. Do you remember how hard it was for us, settling back to some form of normalcy?"

Glenn nodded.

"That's what it does to you, that what's it did to us. We had faced so much danger and life threatening situations that when it came to a scenario where we were actually safe, we couldn't. Rick almost lost it...waved a gun around threatening to kill people. He called out the Alexandrians on their pretentious bullshit, like everything was alright. Each of us had to face our own demons when we tried to settle down."

"But we finally found a way to make it work. We finally were able to settle down and start living again. We were all there for each other and it worked for a while, until the wolves showed up. That morning, when we got back to the gates, when Rick had put Sasha down, I was thinking that we can't ever go back to the way things used to be. As Rick said, 'you don't fight, you die.'"

"But all that changed the moment we found out what Rick could do; when we found the cure."

"Don't you see it Glenn, we were fighting to stay alive. We were fighting for survival. But now, we are fighting for civilization. We are fighting to go back to the way things were. I don't want any of our people to go out there and do the things that WE do, because we are the ones that survived, we are the ones who lived. We can always come back because we have each other. We have done this before, time and time, again and again the same shit, and we've always managed to come back. But they, the rest of Alexandria they can't."

"It freaks me out. The thought of an entire city to ourselves. Can you imagine? Walking around holding our kids hands, in the open, not worrying about walkers or any kind of threat, going from apartment building to the other. It's going to take us a while to get used to it. But for the rest of the people, they are going to be ready. They won't struggle like us."

Glenn closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I'm sorry. You're right."

"No, it's okay. I understand..." Michonne smiled at herself "If Rick were here, I can imagine myself sitting where you are, asking him same the question."

Michonne sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"They've been out there for 3 years. It's been two, since we heard from them. Don't you think it's time we went out there and looked. Not everyone, just you, me, Rosita and Morgan? We could take the horses, or go on foot like Rick and the rest of them."

She shook her head. "It's been 3 years, 6 months and 21 days. It's been two years and 4 months and 10 days since we heard from them. I have thought about it...I have thought about it a million times, going out there. So has Rosita, but she trusts me and she waits for Abraham just like I wait for Rick and Carl. He left me in charge because he trusted me to carry out his plan. In the face of doubt, he knew I could make the hard choices. He prepares an entire city for us to live, while I prepare people to live in a civilized society . And so we go out there and get hands dirty, we protect and take care of Alexandria and our people at the outpost. Which is why Ezekiel and Caleb are important to the plan. Their people are our people. We need them. Those two fucking idiots wasted away 6 months because of some misguided sense of self-righteousness."

"But they are with you, now."

"His people are with me now. You remember what it was like the war with Negan?"

"How can I forget. It was a nightmare that I thought would never end."

"Yeah, but remember all the time we spent there and here, back and forth? The best thing that happened, the only good thing that happened was that we got a chance to know some of their people. And they got to know us. So when Rick decided to leave, he knew exactly who he could trust to take along with him. I did the same. Every time I was there, I got to know some of the people and now they trust me. At least some of them."

"What about Caleb and Ezekiel?"

"They were on board with Rick's plan before he left. But they did it out of fear, rather than believe in him. They all feared Rick; his ability to regenerate and self heal. When people realized what he could, they saw him as some kind of God who would save them. So when he decided to go to Washington, people were on board. Ezekiel and Caleb knew that they would risk alienating their own people, if they disagreed with him."

"Besides, Rick is a better leader than the both of them combined. They knew that, they've seen it; his ability to lead and inspire people, the things he's done, they all saw his anger and determination to win when we went to war with Negan."

"But when they didn't hear back from him, that was their chance to regain control. For a while, they managed to do exactly that. They told their people that that Rick had led their loved ones to their death. But they were all too scared to go out there and look on their own. So, 6 months ago, when I went over there with Rosita, they nearly jumped down my throat. I didn't blame them, our own people did the same. The problem was I wasn't ready for it. But Rosita, she stood by me and that helped. Of course they couldn't be too hard on me, nobody wanted to go out there and look for them. Not after being inside for so long. The safety of the walls, the peacefulness and comfort of living inside a community - who wanted to go out there after all of that. They needed us more than we needed them. We had more food, we had bullets. So they played nice, but remained distant."

"I knew I had to regain their trust back, and for that I needed them to believe in me like they believed in Rick."

"So that's why you wanted to take the supplies to them despite their animosity." Glenn asked, understandingly.

"Exactly. I needed them to know that they we needed them as well. That in spite their anger towards me, I still believe in them, because I still believe in Rick's plan. That I am here doing what he asked me to, because he's out there fighting for us. I have given them hope, again."

"So Caleb and Ezekiel just nodded along because-"

"I was able to convince their people. Those two just want to be heroes. They want the adoration and respect, but they can't take the risks. They envy what Rick can do, because they can't."

"If we got out there, Glenn...for Rick and the others. Then that means...they lost, which means we lost. Getting Washington, that's the only way we can move forward. If Rick and the others fail, then we fail."

"Then we're going to be stuck doing this, living behind walls, fighting walkers, for the rest of our lives. And our children will do that same. And sure we will grow, we'll thrive. We have the cure with us. None of us can turn into walkers... and so, maybe we'll grow in larger numbers, expand our communities, slowly regain back the rest of our country. But by then generations of our people would have passed on doing the things that we do. How will they ever come back from that. How will civilization, as we know it re-emerge?"

"And even if it did, some how, some way...what about the rest of the world? Years are going pass by until there's no one left to save. They don't have a cure...they are all eventually going to die or become walkers. Entire nations of walkers, while we and our children and the future generation going on living..doing what we do."

Michone's mouth felt dry, as she swallowed, weary from talking.

"I don't think I can lead people into battle, Glenn. I can't strategize battle plans; not like Rick."

"You can, Michonne."

"I don't think I can inspire people to fight along with me; to ask them to lay their lives on the line for a cause. If Rick is still out there, then that's because they aren't done. Washington still belongs to the walkers. I have given hope to everyone and convinced them that Rick will come back, and we will have Washington. And that's what keeps everyone going now. The promise of a better world, a safer world. And Rick...he is my hope, seeing him again, because he...is my better world.""

Glenn reached out to hold her right hand. "You are good leader, Michonne. You have done so much already. And we trust you."

She covered her face with her left hand, rubbing her forehead.

Glenn patted her on the back softly. "I'm...I'm not trying to hurt you and I am not saying 'if' he returns. We trust you and we trust him, he's always come back for us, no matter what the odds. But at some point, people are going to ask you 'how long do we wait'? Yes, you've managed to convince people and restore their faith. But after while they are going to ask you that question. Now me and Maggie, the rest of us, we're with you. We're always going to stand by you. But...there's always going to be that question - how long do we wait?"

"I don't know. And I don't how, but I will keep hope alive. They can hate me for it, they can curse me, but I won't let anyone doubt Rick! I will do EVERY DAMN THING in the my power to stop that from happening. I believe in him, Glenn. And I will wait for him, until my dying breath."

...

Glenn insisted that he walk Michonne to her house. They said good night to each other,

"Glenn...you and Maggie should have more kids. I'll worry about 'going out there.'

"I didn't mean it like that. What I -

"-I know...and thank you, for the talk. Goodnight, Glenn."

"Goodnight, Michonne."

Michonne checked on her children to make sure they were all asleep. She made her way to her room, locked the room, took off her clothes and went into the bathroom for a quick shower.

She felt exhausted as she turned off the tap, and climbed out the tub. She dried herself with a towel and brushed her curly hair that now reached over her lower back. Michonne smiled to herself as she noticed specks of gray hair in the mirror. She looked over her 44 year old naked body. Her breasts had slightly begun to sag. She had put on a little weight around her hips and her bottom. The skin around her cheeks were not firm as they used to be; she pressed them together with her hands, but they fell as soon as she let it go. There were wrinkles on her face, and dark circles around her eyes. The pressure and stress of it was beginning to catch up with her. She grimaced at her reflection and then went to the closet.

Tucked away in a corner was an unwashed shirt of Rick's. She pulled it out and wore it over her body; feeling it's fabric touch her skin, as she buttoned up the shirt. Lying on her side of the bed, she turned over and curled into a ball. Smelling him all over her, she looked over the void where he used to lay. Reaching across she grabbed his pillow and pulled it closer to her body. Recalling the last time she had fallen asleep in his arms, Michonne finally closed her eyes after having had a long day, ready to rest.

 **1 Year Later**

".21..22...23..." Michonne stopped counting as she realized what day it was.

 _'Rick...'_

She looked towards clock that read 6:05 AM, got up from bed, and stared getting ready for the day.

It had now been 4 years, 8 moths and 23 days since Rick had left with Carl, for Washington.

As she walked into the kitchen, Judith was already waiting for her. "Good Morning, Mom" She said brightly.

"Good morning, sweetie!" She kissed her on the cheek.

They started by making breakfast together. Michonne made scrambled eggs, as Judith next to her boiling milk.

"You know, you don't have to wake up so early. I appreciate it, but class only starts by 9. You can sleep a little longer...Wake up by 8, like Daryl and Andrea."

Michonne brushed her head, running her fingers through Judith's long dark hair.

"I am not like Daryl and Andrea." She whispered.

"What?" Michonne asked her.

"I mean...I'm Eleven, mom. I think it's time I helped you out a little more. Besides, you got a lot of stuff to do..."

She quickly turned around and began to set the table. Michonne turned out the fire and took the pan of eggs off the stove.

"I'll go get ready, now."

As she turned around to leave, Michonne called out to her.

"Judy..."

She turned around to look at her mom.

"Come here"

As Judith walked towards her, Michonne pulled her in closer towards her chest and embraced her.

"Whether you're 11 years old or 21, you'll always be my baby. Just like Andrea and Daryl, I love you, and you will always be mine."

She kissed her on the top of her head. She felt her hands wrap around her waist, as Judith hugged her back. "I love you, too, Mom."

...

"MOOMMMM...Daryl hit me..." Andrea wailed.

"Daryl..." Michonne looked at him, sternly.

"What?" he asked innocently, blinking his brown eyes at her.

Michonne could barely stop herself from laughing, as she looked across the table at his cute face.

Quickly catching herself , "Don't 'what' me. Apologize to your sister."

"Moommmm!"

"I'm not going to ask you again."

Daryl pursed his lips in anger and said 'sorry' to Andrea who looked at him smugly.

"Now, finish your breakfast and get ready."

Daryl and Andrea finished eating and ran off to their rooms, arguing silently about who could reach their rooms first. Judith, yelled at the two causing them to stop talking and run up the stairs faster.

Andrea came running back a few minutes later, asking her mom to do her hair.

"Can you do the pony tail, like yours.?" She asked.

"Didn't I show you how to do that, yesterday." Michonne asked, while turning her around to tie her hair together.

"Yeah, but I forgot."

"Hmmm..."

As soon as she was done, Andrea ran to the mirror and admired her hair. "It's beautiful." She smiled at her, flashing her teeth, having lost two of her front canines last week.

"And you look beautiful, too. Now go upstairs and get ready, fast!" Michonne replied, capping her hands together.

After everyone got ready, Michonne walked them to school. Tara and Aaron greeted them warmly as they reached the door. Michonne kissed her kids goodbye, stopping only to warn Daryl to be at his best behavior. He smiled at her mischievously and then hugged her tightly.

Michonne hugged her son, kissed him goodbye, and then came back to the house.

She made herself some coffee and then sat down on the living room sofa. She took off her shoes and curled up her legs, as she mentally listed down the things to be done for the day.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Maggie!...How're you feeling today?" Michonne asked her, touching her pregnant belly.

"Hungry... and cranky..."

"Oh, I remember those days.

"I would do anything for a Belgium Chocolate ice cream with blueberry sprinkles."

"Come in..We'll see if we can do something about that."

"Thanks, but I'm heading back. Hershel's sick, got to make him soup. Olivia came by earlier, she asked if you could come to the radio room. Caleb says he want to talk to you."

...

"Caleb...can you hear me?"

"MICHONNE! Thank God!"

"What is it? What's going on?"

"Can you step out for a moment...I am right out side the gates. There's something you have to see."

"What?"

"Michonne, I think someone's watching us..."

...

With her sword on her back, and gun holstered by her side, Michonne stepped out of the gates of Alexandria. She looked around her surroundings, looking for Caleb.

He waved at her from between the trees, signalling her to follow him.

They walked deeper into the woods. "Ezekiel is hurt, I'm going to need your help to moving him. I didn't want to cause a panic, that's why I asked you come out here."

They came upon him, lying in the woods, with his face against the ground.

"What happened? Was he attacked?" Michonne asked quietly.

"Yeah, I didn't see who it was. But he said someone was out here." Caleb moved closer to Ezekiel, kneeling down to check on him.

Michonne glanced around her, as her hand moved back towards the hilt of her sword. Quickly turning around, Caleb pulled out his gun and rushed at her. Before he could fire, Michonne side-stepped him with her cat like reflexes turning to her side, tripping him over. Caleb fell down face first as the gun fell to his side. As he did, she saw in the corner of her eye Ezekiel getting up, raising his gun at her head.

Moving forwards she ducked as he fired, and used her momentum to put all of her weight behind her enclosed right fist to his gut. Causing him to double over and wheeze in pain. Rising up, she twisted her left leg to the right as she swung her left shoulder to the right, with all the force she could muster, dropping him down with a left hook to the side of his jaw.

She turned, facing them as she pulled out her sword. Ezekiel was lying on his trying to catch his breath, looking dazed. Caleb made a grab for his gun, using his left hand to cover his bloody nose. Michonne was over by his side, as he turned around to fire. Kneeling slightly to get the necessary angle, Michonne swung the blade, cutting into flesh and bone.

Caleb screamed in pain, as blood splattered across at her face and clothes. Her sword was still stuck in between his bones, as Michonne turned her face away from the blood. Twisting slightly she pulled out her sword from in between his bones. His right hand lay awkwardly to the side, barely held by his flesh.

Footsteps sounded behind her as eight men surrounded her with guns in their hands.

Caled smiled at her, as tears streamed down his face. He closed his eyes, trying to bear the pain.

"Fuck you, bitch...You don't get to win every time...not this one."

With her eyes still on him, Michonne rose to her feet as the armed men, stood ready behind her ready to fire.

...

Rick and his army stormed the grounds of the White House, as 100's of walkers followed them inside. Quickly positioning themselves, they took them out using gun fire, knives, swords, machetes and arrows. Unknown to all, Rick had spotted people in the windows, as they had entered. He saw them aim their weapons at his people, as they fought walkers. Rick fired at them before they could. They took cover, running out of his sight.

Rick kicked open the doors to the White House, and entered.

...

"Fuck you, bitch...You don't get to win every time...not this one."

With her eyes still on him, Michonne rose to her feet as the armed men, stood ready behind her ready to fire.

"We wanted to be the ones to do it. Figured we owed you that much. But I guess you want to go out the hard way."

A dazed looking Ezekiel got to his feet, holding on to the side of his jaw.

"Don't do this...Please.." she asked them.

Ezekiel shook his head"I'm sorry, Michonne. We admire...we respect you. But our people don't believe in us anymore. They want you...there have been grumblings...people want to come here and live with you. Except for them.." He pointed at the men standing behind her.

"We still have a few people who are faithful to us. But your death can bring them all back to us. They will look to us for guidance and hope. We'll tell you were attacked by walkers and that we couldn't save you. Don't worry, we'll do right by your people. And Glenn and Maggie and the others will take care of your children-"

"- you will be taking their mother away from them." Michonne implored.

Caleb shook his head. "Then renounce your belief in Rick."

"No."

" You want to be with your kids, tell everyone he is dead, that everyone is dead and they're not coming back."

"He will come back for us...he won't leave us out here."

"Is that love or faith? Either way, we don't have any of that for him."

"Every one else does." She argued back.

"This is not some blind belief, we all saw him leave with your people and our people. And they will come back for all of us. This is the hope that keeps all of us going. There has be reason and purpose for living. Simply existing, is not living."

"Wake up, Michonne! It's been almost five years, we don't even know if they're alive."

" It can be 10 years, it can be 20. No matter how long it takes, we...the three of us, we can't fall. That's our job."

"Enough!" Caleb yelled. "I'm going to give you one last chance...you can either forget Rick...or never see your children again...your choice."

...

There were 6 of them inside. They thought they could take him. But Rick had been doing this for a long time. He knew how to win, and he had a reason to live.

One by one he took them out, as his army fought outside on the White House lawn, until only one remained.

Covered in blood and guts, Rick watched as the man struggled under his weight. With his fingers tightly wound around his throat, Rick saw the lights begin to dim in his eyes. He continued to press into his neck, hoping this was the last the act of murder he had to commit.

The man stopped struggling, and then his body jerked one last time.

He looked around at the surroundings of the building he was in. He couldn't believe it but he was finally here, at the White House.

Rick had been fighting for so long, planning for this moment that he looked around in awe. He heard guns shots from outside the White House, as his army celebrated their victory. A 22-year old Carl Grimes stood among them firing into the sky along with Abraham. They had won the war. They had conquered Washington.

For a moment, Rick was back in Alexandria, holding onto his wife and his 3 year old son.

 _Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head. Rick embraced her with one arm and laid his head on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent, feeling his beating heart against her chest. She interlocked her hands around him and whispered for him to hear._

 _"It's not the wrong decision. And I don't want you going out there, but I know you have to because I know you. So if you want me to stay here and take care of our kids, be the leader, look after the communities, wait for you and Carl to come back...I'll do it. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for my husband, for the father of my children, I love you, Rick...so go save the world and then come back to me."_

...

"Enough!" Caleb yelled. "I'm going to give you one last chance...you can either forget Rick...or never see your children again...your choice."

"Really? YOU are going to give me one last chance? Tell you what, you have a better chance of bending over and pulling out your dick all the way until it reached your asshole, and fucking yourself, than killing me. "

"I'll never give up on Rick. And I will see my children again. As soon as I'm done here, I'm going home to them."

Caleb shrugged at her. "Have it your way." He looked towards the man behind her. "Kennie, do it."

Kennie pulled back on the hammer, and so did the rest of them.

"SHOOT HER, ALREADY!"

They kept their guns pointed at Michonne, but didn't fire. They stepped closer, standing by her side and then turned their guns on Ezekiel and Caleb.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Standing with our LEADER" Kennie replied.

Michonne saw confusion on the faces of Caleb and Ezekiel. "When I said earlier, 'don't do this please', I wasn't asking you to spare my life. I was asking you to give me a reason to spare yours."

...

He pushed himself up and got back on his feet.

Rick scooped up his gun that had fallen next to him and then looked down at the man he had strangled to death.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the last man. There was one more left. And he stood, hiding behind the corner wall, pointing his gun at Rick's head with shaky fingers. Before Rick could turn around, the man fired.

Blood splayed across the wall, as Rick's body hit the floor. The blood trickled down the side of his head.

...

"Perspective...You gotta always look at the bigger picture. It's kind of part of the job description."

"Michonne..."Caleb begged, fearfully.

"Shut up! I knew you would pull this shit. I hoped I'd be wrong but I couldn't take any chances. Your people, all of them, trusted me more than the two you."

"YOU BASTARD! How could you...?" Caleb yelled at a stone faced Kennie.

Michonne intervened. "I gave them hope of a better world, you gave them guns to kill me..to kill that hope. Who'd you think they were going to choose?"

Ezekiel tried to reason with her "We were trying to save our people, we were the their leaders, we couldn't just stand by while you -"

"While I did what? I asked them to trust me and they decided to. You two want sit on your thrones and rule over them. You don't really care about their well being. Or are you arrogant enough to not to admit it."

She turned to Kennie, "He told me about your secret meeting. We just didn't know when. But when you called me out here...when you gave me that line of bullshit about being watched..I knew exactly what I was walking into."

"Please, we...we used to be friends. We helped you with your war with Negan, we gave you our people when Rick asked us-"

"You did shit!" Kennie spat out in contempt. "We did all the hard work, we risked our lives, you wanted to play GOD. SO FUCK YOU! Negan would have killed us all, there was no choice but to stand with Rick. He was a real leader. Michonne is a real leader. You two are a joke. Spreading lies, manipulating people to fight against each other."

Ezekiel tried to appeal to better side of Michonne. "You said you wanted to rebuild civilization...so whatever, you decide to do to us."

"I haven't killed any one alive, since the war. That was 8 years ago...and we lived in peace. We worked together like a civilized society, except for today. Everything was going well, until you two decided to play by the rules of survival. The rules of the old world, RULES THAT WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO LEAVE BEHIND. NO, we're not going to do anything to you. I'm not going to sacrifice all the work we have done, for the sake of you two."

"So...you're going to..let us go..?" Caleb asked hopefully.

"I didn't say that."

Michonne, Kennie and rest of them walked through the woods, back to Alexandria. In the distance, they could hear the screams for help from Ezekiel and Caleb as they struggled against their ropes, while they stood bound to a tree. They looked around desperately hoping no walkers were nearby, and then saw them dragging their feet, approaching them slowly.

Once they had reached far enough, Michonne turned around to look at Kennie and the others. She knew she was in range of the watch tower, and her team of snipers were watching her now.

"I appreciate you guys for deciding to stand with me. I get to go home to my kids, today, and for that you'll always have my gratitude. So If you decide to move to Alexandria, your more than welcome."

They nodded at her, but before they could leave, Michonne decided to be completely honest.

"However, if this is some ploy...some twisted way to win my trust...if any of you have plans to come after me, then let's pull out our guns and knives and finish this here, right now."

They looked at each other in fear and outrage.

Kennie spoke up "First of all, Caleb was a friend. So choosing you over him, was not easy. I want you to know that. As you said you gave them a chance and we hoped they would take it. They didn't, and so here we are."

"We stand by the well being of our people. As long as you stand with us on that, we stand by you. My brother is out there with Rick, and these guys they have people out there as well. They are out there because they decided to trust Rick and that is good enough for us. We want the better world he promised. We want it just as much as he does and just as much as you do. So we will wait for them to return, as long as it takes."

"Now the only question is, can we trust you to make the right calls as our new leader."

"You can." Michonne extended her arm, they shook hands and parted ways.

As she neared the gates, she realized that her responsibilities were about to increase. She pulled out her walkie talkie "Open the gate."

"...chone...can you hear me?"

For a second she thought she had imagined that voice. She stared at the device in hand, hardly daring to breathe.

"Michonne..."

She tried to speak but couldn't find her voice. "Can anyone hear me?"

"RICK..." she finally called out."

She heard the static and then "Michonne...can you hear me.."

"YES! YES, I can..." Michonne wanted to pinch, make sure that this wasn't all a dream.

"OH THANK GOD!" Rick called out in relief, holding the side of his head.

The bullet had barely grazed the side of temple, briefly knocking him unconscious. The man who had shot him thought he had his mark. As he slowly made his way closer, Rick opened his eyes turned around and the blew his brains out.

He had then made his way to the communications room and tried to reach out the Alexandria.

"WHERE ARE YOU? Where's Carl, Where have you been...Rick?"

She heard him laugh through his tears. Rick held the side of his head laughing out in relief. He used the back of his hand to wipe his nose and then his tears.

"Carl's fine. We're in the White House...We're in the White House!...It's over baby...Washington is ours."

"What?" She asked him again.

"I'm coming home..."

For the first time since Rick had left for Washington, Michonne cried. She fell on her knees, hardly able to restrain her tears.

"You're coming home..."She kept saying

"I'm coming home..." he shouted in joy. "How long...how long has it been?"

"It's been 4 years, 8 moths and 23 days."

"Oh God...how is Daryl, Judy, Andrea...how are they...?"

"They are beautiful...The grew up...Daryl's 8, Andrea's 9...Judy's 11...They're in class right now."

Rick covered his face in his hands, crying into them.

"Rick" she called out, sniffing her nose, reminding herself what day it was. "Rick..."

"Yeah...I'm here..."

"Today's your birthday... You just turned 50 "

Rick took a deep breath and then smiled "I'm 50 years old.."

"Happy Birthday, my love."

* * *

 **A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write. Absolutely loved every minute. Hope you did too! Have a nice weekend everybody.**


	33. Richonne, We get to live

**_Hello Richonne shippers and lovers. Here's the latest update to this story. Thank you Richonne Slag, Shunnieisfine, Blkgurlsmuse, .Pebbles. and Guests for your comments on the previous chapter (I loved reading them.) and a big thank you to all the silent readers as well._**

 ** _So for all of you, here's chapter 33: Richonne, We get to live._**

 ** _PS: It's a long chapter, hope you all like it._**

* * *

 _Like the greatest warriors, like the greatest kings, who had conquered nations, Rick Grimes began his conquest for Washington by laying out before him a map of the city he wanted to conquer. For days he sat and planned._

 _With the city spread out over 60 square miles, and close to a million in population of the dead, Rick realized capturing the city of Washington was a question of how more than when. It had bridges and roads that connected neighboring states to it. Nearly 7 miles of water surrounded one side of the city. All he had was an army of 50, and his will. There was a tiny part of him, that voice inside his head that told him that maybe this was one fight he couldn't win._

 _'All you got are 50 people, and your stubbornness._ _Stay home, Rick. You get to be with Michonne and the kids. In spite of everything that's happened, you made it! You found the love of your life, you saved your family, your beat the bad guys, you got married and you had more kids. And you did it all in the apocalypse. Congratulations Rick! You got your happy ending...the story is over...why the hell do you want to go on?'_

 _'Because it's not over...and most people, they aren't like me. Michonne deserves better, our kids deserve better, everyone deserves better. And I can give it to them...so shut the fuck up.'_

 _'Alright, I'll shut up. This will be the last time you hear from ME. But since I'm your conscience an all...I have to make one last stand. Y_ _ou know you can't ever come back from this. You either going to die out there, or you're going to have Washington. There is no in between. You're going to walk out the gates of Alexandria, giving people hope..giving Michonne hope that you'll come back one and lead them to a better world. You can't fail...you can't fail her. She's going to be in charge, while you go on your 'noble' adventure. And you've done the leader thing long enough to know that it's a shitty, ungrateful, demanding, 24/7 gig. So if you fuck this up, people will hate you for it but she'll have to answer for it. Now, I get it why you want to this. Under that tough as nails exterior you're a softie...you're a fucking nice guy. Rick Grimes, so noble, so fearless, it makes me sick. It's brave. But a smart man would define bravery as being stupid. I'm smart Rick... and I'm calling you stupid."_

 _'I get it...you want to help people. That's why you became cop, even though deep inside you wanted something else...That's the story of your life. You make emotional decisions rather than being practical. Every wrong decision you had made as the leader, stemmed from that emotional aspect_ _. It was_ _the breaking point between you and Shane. Remember Randall? Remember how well that went. Remember helping Michonne with her earring and then you screwed that up, and you broke her heart. You two lost almost twenty years because of that. Every bad decision you've ever made has risen from of your need to help people._ _So, given all that history, why do still want to do this?_ _'_

 _'...Michone didn't say NO. She was disappointed, she was frustrated, she hated that I have to go out there. But she didn't say 'no'. If this was the wrong call she would have said 'no'. I believe in her and she believes in me._ _That's all we ever had and that's we'll ever need._ _Michonne told me to go out there and save the world. So I'm going...you hear me? I'm going..'_

 _And so they set out for the city of Washington. They had no fuel for their cars. They didn't take any of their horses as they didn't how long they would out there and didn't need the additional burden of having to care for the animals._

 _They went on foot. Carrying their weapons and supplies. They marched men and women, for days, against the sandy winds, hot suns and the cold nights. They killed all the walkers they encountered on the way._

 _And then on the outskirts of the city, they met a woman called Savannah. She seemed lost, she begged them for help. But Rick could see right through her. He had done this too many times to not too. He saw the signs, he saw her eyes wander over their weapons and their supplies._ _He agreed to give her food, he agreed to let her tag along. But he kept his eyes on her. He had changed, Michonne had fixed what was broken inside of him. He was willing to give her chance. He explained their mission, told her she was welcome to join them. Told her, trying to make her understand -even though she only pretended like she was listening, thinking he was buying her act - that they could all live in peace._

 _And then it happened, at night time. Her people attacked; they were thieves stealing to survive. Killing if they had too. Rick and his army were ready for them. They killed them all; Inside he felt sorry for them, but they were too far gone. They were living and following the rules of the world, Rick was trying to change. He couldn't change them. And so with disappointment etched on his face, he shot Savannah down. And then they moved on._

 _Later, when he contacted Michonne through the radio, he told her what had happened. He secretly wondered if everyone was like this. What if the people from other countries, were like this. Michonne told him that he needed to move forward with his plan, like he always did._

 _"That's the only the way we get move forward" she said._

 _Once inside the city, Rick set his plan in action. The city was open to any all forms of threats. The world wasn't a better place yet. Civilization had to rise from the dead. And until it did, they needed walls. In his heart he knew that he would tear it down someday. But for now, for the safety of everyone else they needed walls!_

 _In later years, people would come to call it 'The Washington Barrier'. Fortified by steel and iron, each panel of the wall was 20 feet in height and 20 feet in width. The entire wall, covered in steel, had a thickness of 7 inches. Nothing, not even tank could bring it down._

 _And so it was the steel factories that they converged on first, clearing it out of walkers. He separated his team, while 20 worked in the factory, the rest would begin clearing out houses and apartment. Abraham was put in charge of working at the steel factory. Rick tried to persuade Carl to join him, but his son was no longer a boy. He insisted that he would join his father out there._

 _He had picked up a gun when he was 12 years old, learnt how to shoot it. 10 months later, he had killed walkers, put down his mother and killed one of the governor's men. Rick knew he couldn't ask him to be a boy anymore. They went out together, along with the rest of Rick's army. Since they were half in number, they decided to attack houses and apartments. This way they could concentrate on one area, clear out a place for them to live, without attracting too much attention._

 _With the vaccination that Christina had synthesized from Rick's blood, they were immune to scratches and bites from walkers. But they could still be devoured if they got surrounded by enough of them. He stood over high rise tower, glancing all around him carefully_ _planning the areas to be covered. They left most of the equipment, along with the radio, with Abraham's team and locked down the factories._

 _Rick kept the walkies to themselves_ _, in case they needed to reach out. His team stayed at one of the apartment building that was close to the factory. It was a hard life that constantly tested their patience and resolve. They didn't use their guns, they went in and combated them with knives and machetes._ _Every morning they would get up, clear out one building and then at night they would come back and rest. Food was scarce, surviving on what they could find._ _Every week they would go back to check on them and to contact their loves ones that waited to hear from them. F_ _or a year everything went well according to plan and soon the wall panels were ready._

 _But this world knew what Rick was trying to do. It had to put up one last fight. It needed to be convinced that Rick Grimes could actually save it._

 _Right from the moment they had arrived, they were being watched. People, the last survivors in the city, who had long given up on hope, who were alive but dead inside. There were about a 35-50 of them, and they had made peace with everything that had lost, they had accepted that this was the world they needed. They didn't have a name, they didn't have a leader. They just co-existed, within the concrete jungle of Washington DC. Scavenging supplies, including all the guns and weapons in the city. It was their 'home' and they knew every inch of it, which allowed them to move around without being detected by walkers or by the new intruders who had walked into their home._

 _For over a year, they watched Rick and his people killing walkers, their constant trip to the steel factories. They didn't know what they were doing but they sensed that these people had purpose and meaning in mind. They were trying to achieve something, which means they had hope. They didn't want any of that not when they had accepted and lived so long in the world devoid of any kind of hope._

 _One morning, after having seen enough, after having known enough about Rick and his people, they attacked. They started by attacking the factory first. One of them fired a bazooka, right at the doors blasting it open. They fired one more and then they moved in._ _On the other side of the city Rick and his team were hiding in an alleyway, waiting for a herd to pass. The sound of the explosion caused the herd to turn around, exposing and Rick and his team. Before they could be surrounded they ran past the walkers. Rick took lead, firing at them. The walkers bit into arms, hands, his ear and nose, but the adrenaline kept the pain at bay. He kept firing, allowing his team to ran past them. Before Rick could be surrounded, Carl pulled him away from their grasp. With his father injured and bleeding, Carl took control of the team._ _As they ran forward, bullets rained down upon them, killing and injuring a few. The walkers caught up to them and quickly devoured them. They screamed in agony as the rest looked on helplessly. Anger seeped into his body like Rick hadn't felt in a long time._

 _The noise was enough to excite the rest of the walkers, in the buildings that surrounded them. The banged on the windows until it broke. Bodies fell down from large storied buildings one after the other and started to crawling their way towards them. Rick and his people took cover by running closer to the building the shots were coming from. Walkers closed in on them, as they fired at them. Carl quick shot through the doors, as the rest of them piled in. They blocked the doors and ran up stairs. Floor by floor, they battled one half of the D.C survivors._

 _Back at the factory, although bruised and injured, Abraham and his team got back on their feet and fought the remaining D.C survivors as they made their way in. All the noise was beginning to attract walkers towards the area. Abraham knew the importance of this place. He could't let the place be overrun. Before walkers could make it across. Abraham used the emergency shutters to close the place down, locking everybody inside._

 _The D.C survivors were not seasoned fighters like them. They fight was short, and they were soon dead on the floor. However, t_ _he radio equipment and some of the supplies were entirely damaged in the attack. Abraham and co. were trapped as the entire factory was surrounded by an army of walkers, banging down from every side of it._

 _His right arm had a huge chunk of flesh missing, along with bites and scratches. Part of his nose was gone, his right ear too. But the adrenaline rush kept him going. They were in 12'th floor; Rick and his team killed every last remaining D.C survivor in the building and dumped their bodies out side the window. Out side, 1000's of walkers grouped together trying to get in. They were trapped with no way to contact Abraham and the other at the factory._

 _Carl looked at his father, as he finally collapsed from his injuries, holding on too his son. His breathing was shallow, he was bleeding profusely all over the floor._

 _"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He reassured Carl._

 _The others looked at Rick, as he lay in a pool of his own blood, breathing his last._

 _"We need to get to the factory. I need to be stronger." He pulled back the hammer of his Colt Python and put it against his chest._

 _Carl raised his eyebrows at him._

 _"Don't worry, I'll come back. You've seen me come back..."_

 _"...doesn't mean I'm used to it.." Carl replied somberly._

 _"This is why I asked you to stay back...I didn't want you out here...killing...doing these things._ _Not again."_

 _"I understand, but I wanted to. I wanted to come out here with you, because I can take it...and I want to be like you."_

 _Rick closed his eyes and shook his head. He raised his bloody left hand and softly touched his son's cheek. "You're better than me, Carl._

 _Carl took a hold of his left hand as tears streamed down his face. He didn't look away as Rick pulled the trigger with his right hand._

 _A few hours later, Rick got back up, completely healed of his wounds. Everyone else looked at him in wonder, except Carl who hugged his father. They had all heard of what he could do, but seeing it right in front of their eyes was astounding._

 _With Rick back on his feet, he began planning again. They stared at him in disbelief, as he looked at every one in determination planning on how to get back to the factory. The man was possessed and nothing could keep him down._

 _They made small explosives with the gun powder and threw it out the window. The noises echoed in different directions, distracting the herd away from the building. They made their way out and got back to the factory. After using the explosives and getting the herd away from the backdoor, they made their way in. They lost 3 women and 4 men from their team that day. They had lost their radio equipment and most of them were starting to feel regret that had come along. Rick could sense it, the thought of going home, seeing Michonne again. Feeling her embrace and her warmth. Holding his children again._

 _He got back upon his feet and looked at everyone around him. He spoke openly and honestly; told them he would understand if they wanted to go back and that he wouldn't stop or try to convince them otherwise. They had no way to contact any of them back home and he himself did not know how long they would be out here._ _But he also told them that he would stay back and finish this job, even if he had to do it alone, because he believed this was the only way all of them could move forward._

 _There was still regret, there was still doubt but there was also Rick Grimes standing before them showing them the way. There was still someone willing to fight for them and give them meaning and purpose to their actions. They stood up in unison and decided to stand by Rick Grimes and his vision._

 _Later, secretly Abraham asked Rick why couldn't they take a break and go home for a few weeks?_ _At least to inform the others what is going on._

 _Rick answered him with another question._

 _"Do you really think any of would want to come back here, after being out here for a year?"_

 _"How about us? You and me? We can go and come back. You know we will."_

 _"You have a family and I have a family. If we go back we get to see them, and yes we will still come back. But what about the rest of them? They have families too._ _We have to be the example, Abraham._ _I know it's not easy but we got to be able to make the tough choices, for everyone...here and there..._

 _"Seeing our families again, that's what is going to keep us motivated. That's what is going to get us through this shit, every moment of it. There are no breaks from that. We go back only when the job is done. Michonne...she'll handle things back home. She can do it. I believe in her."_

 _Later that night, after every one was asleep, Rick stared out the window. He pretended she was standing next to him and held out his hand. He imagined her fingers intertwine with his, instead of the void in between them._

 _For the next three years and half years, they worked harder and faster. The door panels were ready but getting them to the outskirts of the city setting them up was a slow and grueling task. Everyday they had to get the walkers from one part of the city to another part, while they worked on the other side._

 _Noise and distractions could only do so much. Sometimes they had no choice but to fight the walkers to prevent them from interfering with the work crew._ _The acquired vehicles and cranes, but the fuel was no good. Instead they used car batteries and bypassed it as a source of power for the machinery. The noise would sometimes attract walkers from the outskirts, bring them towards the city. Work would be halted to deal with the walkers, and then resumed. They got bitten, they got scratched, but no one died. The vaccination did what it was supposed to, they were immune to the walkers. They couldn't turn which allowed them to fight longer and harder._

 _On more than one occasion they had to deal with herds. There was a time when Rick, Abraham and some of their team, spent over 12 hours underneath a vehicle, waiting for the herd to clear. Once that was done, they got back stretched and then resumed work. But then there were the challenges of being human._

 _There was always the lack of food, the continuous_ _onslaught_ _of danger, mental and physical fatigue, rain, snow and storm._ _But nothing deterred them from their goal, Rick wouldn't allow it. Despite the city's best efforts, it couldn't beat Rick Grimes._

 _And then, one day, the walls were up. They cheered and rejoiced, the war wasn't over but they were close and they knew now were going to win._

 _"All that remains are the walkers within these walls. Do you hear that moaning? we've been hearing for over 4 years now. Those bastards don't know it yet, but they are dead. This city is ours and for future generations to come. This is how we're going to save the world." Rick yelled out to his army as they broke out in tumultuous joy and laughter, whilst applauding their leader._

 _That night, as he lay down to sleep Rick took out a picture of his family. Michonne smiled up at him, with her arm firmly around Judith and Andrea. Rick was holding a crying Daryl with his head across on her left shoulder. Carl was on her right, with his head on her shoulder. He placed the picture close to his chest, and slept with a smile on his face._

 _He planned again, carefully. They hadn't lost anyone since the attack of the D.C Survivors. Slowly, they began again, killing walkers one after the other. Months rolled by, until only a few hundred were left. Rick knew it was time to take them all out, and now that only a few hundred remained they could afford to take out their guns, again._

 _That morning, they walked down Pennsylvania avenue and broke open the gates of the White House, and fired the guns in the air. They set explosives to go off as the last walkers made their way towards them. The explosives went off and took out a whole bunch of them. The remaining kept coming at them._

 _Rick and his army stormed the grounds of the White House, as 1000's of walkers followed them inside. Quickly positioning themselves, they took them out using gun fire, knives, swords, machetes and arrows. Unknown to all, Rick had spotted people in the windows, as they had entered. He saw them aim their weapons at his people, as they fought walkers. Rick fired at them before they could. They took cover, running out of his sight._

 _Rick kicked open the doors to the White House, and entered._

 _There were 6 of them inside. They thought they could take him. But Rick had been doing this for a long time. He knew how to win, and he had a reason to live._

 _One by one he took them out, as his army fought outside on the White House lawn, until only one remained._

 _Covered in blood and guts, Rick watched as the man struggled under his weight. With his fingers tightly wound around his throat, Rick saw the lights begin to dim in his eyes. He continued to press into his neck, hoping this was the last the act of murder he had to commit._

 _The man stopped struggling, and then his body jerked one last time._

 _He looked around at the surroundings of the building he was in. He couldn't believe it but he was finally here, at the White House._

 _Rick had been fighting for so long, planning for this moment that he looked around in awe. He heard guns shots from outside the White House, as his army celebrated their victory. A 22-year old Carl Grimes stood among them firing into the sky along with Abraham. They had won the war. They had conquered Washington._

 _For a moment, Rick was back in Alexandria, holding onto his wife and his 3 year old son._

 _Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head. Rick embraced her with one arm and laid his head on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent, feeling his beating heart against her chest. She interlocked her hands around him and whispered for him to hear._

 _"It's not the wrong decision. And I don't want you going out there, but I know you have to because I know you. So if you want me to stay here and take care of our kids, be the leader, look after the communities, wait for you and Carl to come back...I'll do it. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for my husband, for the father of my children, I love you, Rick...so go save the world and then come back to me."_

 _He pushed himself up and got back on his feet._

 _Rick scooped up his gun that had fallen next to him and then looked down at the man he had strangled to death._

 _Unfortunately, it wasn't the last man. There was one more left. And he stood, hiding behind the corner wall, pointing his gun at Rick's head with shaky fingers. Before Rick could turn around, the man fired._

 _Blood splayed across the wall, as Rick's body hit the floor. The blood trickled down the side of his head._

 _The bullet had barely grazed the side of temple, briefly knocking him unconscious. The man who had shot him thought he had his mark. As he slowly made his way closer, Rick opened his eyes turned around and the blew his brains out._

 _He had then made his way to the communications room and tried to reach out to Alexandria._

 _As he tried the radio, the first thing he heard was her voice._

 _"Open the gate."_

 _"Michone...can you hear me?"_

 _"Michonne..."_

 _All he could hear was static. He tried again._

 _"Michonne...can you hear me.."_

 _"YES! YES, I can..." Michonne wanted to pinch herself, make sure that this wasn't all a dream._

 _"OH THANK GOD!" Rick called out in relief, holding the side of his head._

 _"WHERE ARE YOU? Where's Carl, Where have you been...Rick?"_

 _Rick held the side of his head laughing out in relief. He used the back of his hand to wipe his nose and then his tears._

 _"Carl's fine. We're in the White House...We're in the White House!...It's over baby...Washington is ours."_

 _"What?" She asked him again._

 _"I'm coming home..."_

 _He heard her sob in relief and happiness._

 _"You're coming home..."She kept saying_

 _"I'm coming home..." he shouted in joy. "How long...how long has it been?"_

 _"It's been 4 years, 8 moths and 23 days."_

 _"Oh God...how is Daryl, Judy, Andrea...how are they...?"_

 _"They are beautiful...The grew up...Daryl's 8, Andrea's 9...Judy's 11...They're in class right now."_

 _Rick covered his face in his hands, crying into them._

 _"Rick" she called out, sniffing her nose. "Rick..."_

 _"Yeah...I'm here..."_

 _"Today's your birthday... You just turned 50 "_

 _Rick took a deep breath and then smiled "I'm 50 years old.."_

 _"Happy Birthday, my love."_

 **1 Week later**

Michonne woke up earlier than usual, unable to go back to sleep. She showered, made breakfast, and got the kids ready.

She felt excited, like the time when she was 18. She had come home from school, debated with herself and tried on most of her wardrobe, before deciding what to wear. And then she drove down to King's County to see him.

They saw the girl-like excitement on their mother's face, and grinned at each other. Daryl and Andrea had very brief memories of Rick. They had heard stories about him, in the last 5 years he was away. He sounded like a legend, a myth, almost a superhero. Despite having been told about their father, they hadn't been able to spend time with him while growing up, to understand who he was. There were times when they looked at other kids with jealousy too see them with both their mother and their father. Now that he was coming back, they could hardly wait to get to know him and experience what it was like to have a 'dad'. Then Judith reminded them they also had a big brother. She told them what they were like, as they listened in rapt attention.

Judith on that hand had a lot of memories of her father. She remembered the day he left: she remembered crying into his shirt with her arms wrapped around his shoulder, as he carried her around whispering a song into her ear.

She, like Michonne, was lost in her memories off Rick.

Michonne had put on a white sun dress, with black polka dots. She had washed her shoulder length curly hair, brushed it down, and looked at it in the mirror. It lay very gracefully over her shoulder.

She and the rest of the community stood awaiting them at the gates of Alexandria. There was excitement and anxiousness in the air. Thier men and women were coming back after almost 5 years of war.

"THEY ARE HERE...I SEE THEM!" The sniper shouted from the tower top.

Michonne ran forwards and pulled open the gate.

She saw him from across the distance, walking towards them with a bag and an M-60 rifle on his right shoulder. He walking in the front, tall and proud, leading his army back home.

His beard had reached biblical proportions. Most of his hair was grey and had grown wildly, almost reaching his shoulders. His eyes looked tired, his face whether beaten and bruised. His cheeks hollow, his body leaner, than when he left. Michone blinked a few times, taking in his appearance. Her chest started to feel heavy, she bravely smiled as tiny beads of tears ran down her face.

Rick stopped in his tracks as he saw her. She was standing at the gates, a vision of beauty in white, with the sun beaming down upon her luscious skin, and the slight breeze blowing against her hair and her face. She was his angel, his warrior, his queen, who had stood at those gates protecting everything inside it, in his absence. She was his wife; the love of his life, who waited for him everyday since he left. Not knowing when he'd return, only having faith that he would.

For a brief, maybe a micro second, Rick and his army, Michonne and the rest of Alexandria stared at each other silently, wordlessly, unable to move breathe. And then Judith ran out to embrace her father, closely followed by Daryl and Andrea. Running as fast their little legs would. All around them, people ran towards their loved ones, crying, laughing in joy.

She saw him fall to his knees as his arms wrapped around his three children. She covered her mouth with hands as she saw them together. She wanted to run too, she wanted to bury herself in his arms, feel his lips with hers, a shiver ran down her body as she thought of it. But she didn't move, their children needed to be with their father now and so she waited. And then she saw a 22 year old Carl looking wild and rough as his father, a beard growing across his face. He smiled at her, as she pointed at him with her right hand and then ran her hand beneath her chin, gesturing towards his beard. He blushed lowering his head, grinning at himself. She gave him thumbs-up and then held the same hand to her chest. Carl gave her an air-kiss, as he stood next to his father, who was on his knees hugging and kissing his children.

Daryl and Andrea had started to cry, along with Judith, without knowing why they were crying. He wiped their tears away and then pointed towards their big brother. Carl kneeled down to look at them and hugged them. They kissed and hugged him back. They all started talking at the same time, looking between him and their father. Rick nodded along clearly not able to understand a single word they were saying. As they turned back to their brother again, Rick looked across at Michonne. She was crying silently, her arms around herself watching her family.

Rick got back up on his feet and slowly made his way towards her. She sniffed her nose and clenched her elbows tightly with her fingers, as she stood watching him walk towards her, with her arms wrapped around herself.

The M-60 rifle slid down his shoulder along with his bag, , he was almost in a trance as he walked towards her

They smiled at each other, awkwardly.

"You look...you're beautiful.."

She broke into a sob and then laughter. She looked down at her dress and then ran her hands over it, straightening out the creases.

"I...I started making.. this last week, when I heard from you. Fini-finished it yesterday...I wanted to look nice for y-"

She felt his lips on hers before she could finish her sentence. She felt his hard strong hands grab around her waist, push her body towards him. He lifted her off the ground as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, sinking into him. She tasted his sweat, she took in it's stench, felt his beard prick into her skin.

Rick hands wrapped around her body tightly, he touched her feeling the curves of her body through the dress, feeling her slender back. He started to feel hungry as he felt her face against his; her skin against his; her lips against his; her tongue and her saliva. His hands reached down and grabbed her ass just the way she liked it; he felt her lips broaden into a smile as they continued kissing. She felt him get hard and poke into her, through his pants. Raising her knee, she brushed it lightly, rubbing him just the way he liked it.

Judith, Andrea and Daryl snickered behind them as they saw their parents get romantic. Carl cleared his throat as he got closer.

Michonne heard him and whispered into Rick's ear. "The kids are watching us...just hold on baby.." She felt his grip loosen as he slowly released her. His eyes seemed to burning into her's as they stared at each other. She slid her hands down his shoulder and placed them on his chest. She looked back at him, barely able to contain herself.

"Hellooo!" Carl teased her.

She blushed and then turned to look at him. Running her hands over his beard she pulled his face closer, kissed his cheek and hugged her boy. The other three, pushed them selves between their parents and their elder brother trying to get everyone's attention again.

The parents looked around at their 4 children, and then at each other. The Grimes family was finally together.

 **2 Weeks later**

Michonne stood gazing at Washington monument in wonder. She stared around her at the clear night sky and then at the city that lie in front of her, as she stood against the railings of the Oval office balcony. The shivered slightly against the cold breeze and rolled down the sleeves of her grey sweater. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the moment.

"...you like it.."

She turned around at the sound of his voice. A clean shaven Rick Grimes walked out into the balcony, hair neatly cut and combed back. His eyes seemed to be twinkling as he stared across at her.

She sighed at him "It's breathtaking."

"It's nothing compared to you."

"Really?" She playfully tilted her head to the right.

He stood looking at her for a second with a smile on his face, not moving, simply looking at her as he kept breathing in and out.

He walked towards her and placed his hands on either sides of her face; looked into those brown eyes, brushed his finger tips over her lips, taking in the warmth of her presence. Moving the locks of her hair behind her ears, he kissed her softly: enclosing his lips over a small portion of her skin on her left cheek and then kissed her right cheek. He kissed over each of her eye lids, her forehead and the tip of her nose. Finally locking his lips with her's.

"Really..." he whispered.

Wrapping his arms around her back, he embraced her brushing his face against her hair, taking in her scent. She kissed him on the exposed part of his chest and laid her head against his shirt, listening to his heart beat through it, feeling safe and at peace with herself in the arms of her man.

Slowly, she turned around and leaned back against him, clutching at his forearms that were firmly wrapped around her. He moved his head to the side and kissed her neck, slowly reaching the side of her face and then playfully nibbled at her ear.

"Are the kids asleep?" she quickly asked him

"Yeah..., once they calmed down about how big their room was. I should spend more time with them. Being away all this time..."

"...is the reason why we have all this." She told him reassuringly. "We're all here now because of you. Don't ever regret it. Our children will understand that when they grow older. And they will see you and love their father for the incredible man that he is."

Rick nodded his head gratefully. She raised her hand and touched his cheek, as she looked back at the expanse of land that lie before her.

He started kissing her down the left side of her face, as his fingers moved up through her sweater and slowly circled around her belly button. He then made it's way to her breasts and squeezed them tenderly through her bra.

"Feels like a dream..." She whispered to him.

"Which part?"

"All of it…standing here with your arms around me…seeing all of this."

"We got married, had kids...getting a new house seemed like the next step..."

"Ha..ha...Well you got us the best damn house in the country."

She turned her head to the side to look at him, and then caught his lips with her's. "Thank you.." she whispered, her lips touching his as she spoke.

He rubbed his face against her cheek.

"You know, I think I miss the beard." She teased him.

"Yeah, well you're the one who shaved it off." He teased her back.

"It kept getting in the way of your tongue.." She whispered back, pushing her knees together.

He turned her around and pushed her gently against the railings. He placed both hands on either sides, causing him to bend slightly as he looked into her face.

"I'm sorry if I was too rough that morning..."

"You mean after being away from each other for 5 years...No, it was the right amount..I loved every minute of it. "

"I missed you so much..."

"Me too.."she replied holding the side of his head, feeling the stitches from his bullet wound through his hair.

Rick took her hand in his and kissed it softly. As he did, his lips brushed over her scarred knuckles from the time she had punched Ezekiel.

"Does it still hurt?"

Michonne smirked at him and shook her head.

"Make a fist"

She grimaced at him and then brought her fingers together. But half way through she stopped.

"It still hurts.."

He rubbed his thumb over it, as he looked at her. She raised her hands and cradled the back of his head. Pulling him closer, she kissed him as she felt his hands enter her sweater, from the back. The moved up ever so gently, trailing over her skin. His fingers were firm but tender as he touched her exactly the way she liked to be touched.

He stopped abruptly.."I almost forgot.."

"What..?"

"It's a surprise.." He said with a boyish grin on his face

He quickly ran back inside as Michonne looked at him with a curious expression on his face.

Rick came back quickly with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"Where did you get that?" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Presidents' secret stash.." he replied

They opened the bottle and toasted to themselves and their future.

They sat over railings, interlocking their legs around it. They leaned to their sides, head and shoulders against each other, sipping on the champagne whilst looking out into the distance.

"You know what this means right?"

"What?"

"President Rick Grimes.."

Rick shook his head, laughing. "Not my thing. I mean can you imagine me in a suti sitting behind a desk..."

"...addressing your people, about hope and promise of the future. Protecting us from all kinds of threat...Yeah, I can." Michonne finished for him.

She raised her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. "You'll be the 45'th President of the United States of America. And you'd look great in a suit...so dashing..so debonair."

He shrugged at her.

"I'm the guard dog you let off the leash when there is an intruder. I am not the guy holding the leash. You should be President. Going forward, we're going to need you. You have a cool head, you used to be a lawyer so you know about the constitution, the laws, international laws, UN treaties...things like that...I could be the first gentleman slash bodyguard. We could have 'secret meetings' in between all the presidential activities that you might have to do."

She grinned at him, as her hands softly crept across his thigh. "To serve and protect..can't say no to that...And for the record, I didn't always want to be a lawyer.."

"What did you want to be?" He asked her curiously.

"That's the not the point. The point is you saved us...you gave us a city to live in..this was your plan. And everyone here believes in you more than ever before. Now, they believe in you like I do. They see you...the way I see you. You're the face of hope and our future."

Her hands slid off his thigh and slipped it between his fingers. She raised his left hand towards her mouth, turned it over and kissed into his palm, taking in it's warmth as the cold breeze blew against them. Sliding downwards, she placed his hand against her breast, over her beating heart.

"Tomorrow, you're going to start broadcasting, right?

"Right. We need to reach out to the survivors across the country and then...to the rest of the world."

"...You're going to address them as the President and you're going to tell them about the cure...about a city without walkers or any kind of danger...about a chance of going back again to way things you used to be."

Rick nodded along as he looked at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. She knew what he was thinking, and she smiled at him.

"It's never going to be over for us...is it? The things we have to do..." He remarked.

"You mean be a normal couple...raising a family together..doing all those things a normal couple do...?" She asked him.

"Yeah... the last time we sat down like this...spend some time together just being us-

"-was the night after the wolves...attacked. I remember...you asked 'how long before we get to live for ourselves...How long before we have a night like this?'

\- and you said..'we do what we need to do, and then we get to live...'

Michonne leaned against his shoulder, holding on to his left arm. "We're getting there.."

Rick stared across in the distance and then pointed at something. "There's a coffee place way over there. It's a nice cozy little spot. I don't know when but...one day, after we knock down those walls...you and me are going to walk down there, sit at the table and order some coffee."

"Like a date?" Michonne asked playfully.

"Uh-huh! Like a normal couple. We're going to do that."

"Can't wait..."

The sat for a few more hours, sipping on their champagne's, teasing and touching each other. Flirting and Kissing each other, knowing it would be a long time before they would have a night like this, again. Around the city, the remaining survivors from all the other communicates settled down in their new homes - apartments, condos, houses. They had the whole city to themselves, some of them partied, some of them had quiet dinners. It was loud and it was quiet. Some of them celebrated out on the streets, being as the loud as they wanted. It was a night of festivities, it was a night that would be come to be celebrated every year from then on. As time passed, it became a national holiday. People wished each other 'Happy, being alive, day."

"You said you didn't want to always be a lawyer...what did you want to be?"

Michonne blushed slightly and looked into his eyes "I wanted to start my own business - my own line of clothing."

"Wow...why didn't you?"

"I could have but...I was my father's daughter. My dad he was a great man. The best and most respected lawyer in Atlanta. He started out by defending civil liberties and then he took on criminal cases...cases that often coincided with racial discrimination."

Rick held her hand, as she looked at him. "He was a legend. The things he did for our community, the years he fought against racial prejudice. There were stories about him, the things he had to do the things he had to sacrifice...Of course, growing up...I didn't have to struggle or face these challenges he did. He gave me the best of everything. And I was his daughter...I was his only child. And I was interested in fashion."

Rick held his breath as he heard her speak. He understood what she must have felt. It was the same with him.

"Right up till the age of 10, I was blissfully ignorant of everything he had done. I would draw all these designs for different kinds of clothes -men, women, children, babies - and wait to show him. I still have it my old house in Atlanta. He would indulge me, he would take the time out to look at it and congratulate me. But then as I got older, I started hearing about him. I started to see the disappointment in his face every time he smiled and admiringly looked at my drawings. So..I decided to do something to make him proud..."

"And that's how you became lawyer..."

Michonne grimaced at him. "I didn't hate it. In fact, there was something quite thrilling about it. Getting a new case in hand, planning out your strategy for defense or offence, depending on the type of case you were handling. I did enjoy it."

"But deep down, a part of me missed it. I stopped drawing, but sometimes, when I was in the office there were moments when I would let my mind wander...think of a new design..."

She shrugged. "It was a million years ago."

"If it's important to you then it's important to me." Rick said reassuringly.

"It used to be...now it's you and the kids. Nothing is more important to me than that."

"Well, I think you'd been great at it...being a...fashion designer."

"You do, huh?"

"I saw the clothes Daryl, Andrea and Judith were wearing. I liked them. I like that white dress with the black spots on em'. You looked great in it."

"Thank you.." she said rubbing her head against his shoulder.

"I didn't always want to be a cop." Rick said with a smile.

"Really...what did you want to be then?"

He paused slightly, thinking about it. "I liked singing. I had this secret guitar, that I used to play late at night in my room. I'd come up with my own tunes, my own lyrics..I wanted to travel across the country do shows and concerts. But I never told anyone, it never happened."

She held his chin lightly..."You should have...You have one hell of a voice..."

"My dad, he had a small electronic shop in town. We were happy and taken care of. But what he liked the most was to help people. That's what he taught me and Jeff. He was the most sincere and honest man I've ever known..but he was old fashioned, traditional. He wound't have understood about what I wanted to do. I thought he'd be disappointed. And so I became a cop, I helped people the best I could and he was happy."

"So no one knew..?"

"No one. This is the first time I'm talking about it."

"I think you'd have been great. The first time I heard your voice on the phone, it sounded so calm, so soothing. Like somebody you could trust."

They laughed together thinking about their past.

"Thank you for sharing your secret with me."

"Yeah well..you're different...you're special."

"Am I, now?"

Yeah...cause..." Rick placed both hands on either sides and turned back around to step on to the balcony.

"You're too good to be true.."

"Can't take my eyes off of you...

"Oh my God..." Michonne laughed in excitement.

Rick extended his arms to his sides

" _You'd be like heaven to touch.._

 _I want to hold you so much.._

 _At long last love has arrived_

 _And I thank God I'm alive..._

 _You're just too good to be true_

 _Can't take my eyes off of you."_

Rick walked towards her and lifted her off the railings, carrying her in his arms. She put her arms around his neck, looking dreamily into his eyes.

"TA DA...TA DA...TA DA DA DA DA..."TA DA...TA DA...TA DA DA..." He sang as he swung her around in his arms.

He then stopped and pulled her closer to him.

 _"I LOVE YOU, BAABBY, and if it's quiet alright,_

 _I need you BAABBY, to warm the lonely night._

 _I love you, baby...trust in me when I sayyyy..._

 _Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray_

 _Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay.._

 _...and let me, LOVE-you-baby..._

Rick turned around and walked towards the door, as Michonne sat up in his arms, holding onto him. She kissed him on his cheek and rested her forehead against his.

 _...let me love youuuuuuu..._ he sang as he carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Valentine's Day in advance...and I love you guys! Thank you. (No the story is not over... I just felt like saying it.. *wink wink*)**


	34. Richonne, how we saved the world

**_RICHONNE IS REAL! RICHONNE IS ALIVE! THE RICHONNE SHIP HAS SET SAIL, FOR REAL. I LOVED LAST WEEK'S EPISODE. That moment between them was so simple yet powerful. So sweet yet so romantic. I held my breath as they held hands, I covered my mouth in shock and happiness as they kissed. I pinched myself to see if I wasn't dreaming, and then I saw them naked in bed and then Jesus appeared. Yup! I wasn't dreaming, it was real. It really happened. Thank you severelybabykyptonite for all your wonderful Tumblr posts. I absolutely loved each and everyone of them. As for Richonne haters, screw them. They can say whatever they want. They can hate it as much as they want. But that's not going to change what happened between them. We saw the signs way back in season 3, we called it. And then after this latest episode, Scott Gimple confirmed it as well. It was real, we didn't imagine it. So haters can hate as much as they want. But at the end of the day, it was all real. Richonne was always meant to be! (WINK WINK...SORRY I COULDN'T HELP IT)_**

 ** _Now, it's time for my latest update Chapter 34: Richonne, how we saved the world. It is one of the most surreal chapters I have written. I think you'll enjoy, or hate it. Either way, stay with me, stay with me till the end of the story._**

* * *

 _President Rick Grimes had shown them that it wasn't impossible. That they could indeed recapture the world from the clutches of the walkers and the end plague. And so as months progressed some of the remaining survivors felt compelled to go out there and recapture the rest of the country. They went to the White House to seek his permission. But Rick reminded them that they needed to build what they have here; to be at their strongest before going out there. Which is what he did with Alexandria, before setting out to conquer Washington. He told them that the only way they get to save the world was with the help of the rest of the world._

 _Not for the first time Rick gave a speech, as Michonne sat by his side. But it was the first time he spoke to the entire world. He told them what he could give them and encouraged them to come Washington. The radio messages were broadcasted for days. People across the country, those of who were alive heard him. They walked for days, some died, some gave up, but for those who didn't they had at last found a sanctuary and an end to their suffering._

 _It took time, but eventually, the rest of the world - those of who were alive-reached out to them. They came in little airplanes, and they saw what Rick and the others had accomplished. They were given vaccinations, and food and shelter. In return, they helped by lending their resources and skills in building back civilization. Slowly, they grew stronger and once they were strong enough, Rick Grimes gave the go-ahead for the country wide eradication of walkers._

 _Abraham became the secretary of defense, together he and Rick planned out the most effective strategy in which they could take the rest of the country. But this time, they didn't have to leave. They didn't have to lead. Their people were strong enough and they set out for what would be know as 'the last act of war by U.S.A.' Rick and Abraham saw their people to the gates at the walls of Washington, now dubbed as the 'The Washington Barrier'. They didn't know how long it would take, but they knew they could achieve it. Rick and Abraham had shown them that they could._

 _Michonne and Maggie looked after renewing and the incorporation of laws, both domestic and international. The United Nations was set back up, under Michonne's leadership, who also handled the responsibilities of the vice president, secretary of State and a few years later the Attorney General. Michonne asked Maggie to take over the responsibilites of the_ _United nations by being it's new president. But Maggie needed some time as she gave birth to another baby boy - Billy. After she felt ready, t_ _ogether, Maggie and Michonne worked hard and reached out to several more nations, uniting them, establishing peace and hope. After which Maggie took over as the president of the United Nations._

 _Glenn, the ever likable Glenn, was in charge of foreign affairs and trade. He had a way with people, to acquire their trust and understanding. He did wonders in establishing strong bonds with the rest of the countries._

 _Moragan, Aaron and Tara took on education, molding young minds teaching them about the world, how it was, how it had become and how they were changing it every day, every month, every year. They told them stories of Rick, Michonne, Abraham, Maggie and Glenn. They shared their own experiences of what it was like and why it was important to build a better world for all of them. There were several children that had been orphaned in the apocalypse. Tara took it upon herself to look after these children. She began a home for them, which then expanded into a orphanage._

 _Rosita, Eugene were put in charge of technology. Their job was to figure out how to best use the resources they had, how they could acquire more and how they could improve it._ _Christina was put in charge of science and health, which often crossed paths with the work Rosita and Eugene were doing. They were given teams of people to assist them and as years passed, as children born during the apocalypse grew up, they they each ventured into various areas of interest. All these efforts paved the way for economic stability. Money, gold and currency were other factors that came into play, along with the commercialization. They knew that it would take a long time before things got back to the way it was. But they had made a start, they had taken the first steps towards it._

 _As all of them laid the ground work for civilization to move forward, Abraham and Rick assisted the rest of the leaders of their respective nations in planning out their course of attack against the walkers. And so began 'the last act of war by human kind'._

 _Carl had officially become Rick's right hand man. Learning from and assisting his father. Rick knew, that one day Carl would be ready to take over from him. In the midst of it all, Carl fell in love and proposed to his girlfriend - Enid. He married her eight years after they had moved to Washington. It was the biggest and the most prominent wedding in the last 20 years. World leaders and other people alike, arrived to witness the wedding of Rick and Michonne's son._

 _Michonne had turned 50, as Rick became 55._ _They had become a celebrity couple, in the eyes of the young. They were always scrambling to get a glimpse of the two together, as were their parents. Fortunately, they didn't have cell phones which allowed 'Richonne' some moments of privacy whenever they stepped out together. People would rush forwards to shake their hands or maybe have a conversation with them. 'Richonne' hated the attention, but they were polite and they were kind. It had been a long time they had killed someone, or got into a fight. Rick still carried his Colt Python by his side_ _and Michonne still carried her sword. But nowadays their fights were mostly restricted to round table discussions and arguments. Their weapons were an intimidation tactic, to remind the people across them what they could do, if they chose to. Before they sat down, they would lay their weapons on the table for everyone to see._

 _Their new responsibilities, their children, their friends, all the attention, kept them away from each other. But they always made sure that once in a month they would take time off to be with each other. Michonne gifted him with a guitar, after coming back from Europe during one of her political trips. In the night, when everyone was asleep he would sing to her humming some of the songs he had made up as a kid. She would sit cross legged in their bed, as Rick would pull up a chair and sit in front of her. They would kiss, they would make love and then in mornings they would take one of the vehicles and drive to Alexandria._

 _Michonne had told him to keep it the way it was, as a reminder of how far they had come and what they had achieved. It was exactly as they remembered it; the held their hands together walking around in it's tranquil surroundings, away from the all the noise and responsibilities back in Washington. They would visit the graveyard, remembering their old friends, regretting they weren't here with them. They didn't have any pictures of them. They had lost them, during the attack of the wolves._

 _And then one day,_ _the news finally came - walkers, all across the country, were dead. A few weeks later, Rick turned 65 and celebrated his birthday with his wife and the rest of the family. At the end of the day, Rick gave the order "knock down those walls." A few weeks later, the walls were demolished._ _It was another milestone for what they had achieved. In the same year Glenn and Maggie's son, Hershel Rhee proposed Judith Grimes. And a few months later Abraham's son Oscar proposed Andrea. Maybe it was the fact that they had all grown up together, or maybe it was fate. But they were in love, and they were happy._

 _The dates were planned, the venue was prepared and both the weddings took place one after the other._ _Judith married Hershel, Andrea was her bridesmaid and Billy was Hershel's best man. Right after that ceremony was over, they switched places. Andrea married Oscar, Judith and Hershel served as the bridesmaid and best man._

 _It was a wonderful day and_ _one of the most happiest occasions in the lives of all the three families - Grimes, Rhee and Ford._

 _At the end of the day, when everything was over, Rick and Michonne Grimes went back to the White House._

 _Rick was 65, Michonne was 60. "I love you" they whispered to each other and kissed._

 _Together, the first couple sat down on the couch, in the balcony of the Oval office. The sun was setting in the horizon, they held their hands together and looked over everything they had achieved._ _The first couple had finally got their day. They had done everything they needed to do and now it was time to live..._

"Christina-?"

Christina stopped writing and looked up at her visitor, standing at the foot of her bed, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Rick!" She smiled at him, trying to sit up. Rick moved to her side and helped her up against the headboard.

"What're you writing?"

"...About how we saved the world..."

"Oh.." Rick nodded, laughing to himself. "And...how does it end?"

"Well, your kids got married and you and Michonne go up to the balcony and you sit down on a couch, hold hands, and say I love you. Then you two look over the entire city, looking at everything you had achieved together. We all lived happily ever after."

"That sounds..." Rick sighed. "That's a good ending."

Christina shrugged at him. "Everyone knows what happened next. But as far as my book goes, we all get a happy ending...and that's how the story ends."

Rick smiled at her in sadness. She was right, everyone knows what happened next.

 _The dates were planned, the venue was prepared and both the weddings took place one after the other._ _Judith married Hershel, Andrea was her bridesmaid and Billy was Hershel's best man. Right after that ceremony was over, they switched places. Andrea married Oscar, Judith and Hershel served as the bridesmaid and best man._

 _It was a wonderful day and_ _one of the most happiest occasions in the lives of all the three families - Grimes, Rhee and Ford._

 _But their happiness was short lived._

 _As Abraham danced with his new daughter in law -Andrea- he collapsed on the dance floor, struggling to breathe, as Andrea held on to his body in shock. Everyone rushed forward to his side; his eyes bulged out momentarily peering at everyone around him, stopping at the worried faces of Rosita and his son Oscar,_ _and then became motionless._

 _Abraham, at the age of 72, passed away as a result of a heart attack. They said goodbye to their friend and fellow survivor and buried him in Alexandria. Weeks later, Rick and Michonne went to Alexandria and stood over the grave of another friend. It was at that moment that they decided this is where all of them were going to be buried when it was their time._

 _The entire graveyard was modified, with granite headstones. They dug empty graves for people they had lost in the past. Noah, Beth, Tyreese, Bob, Hershel, Andrea, Merle, T- Dog, Dale, Jim, Jackie, Laurie and Shane._

 _In the center a silver pedestal was made with a circular frame at the top, on which names of everyone who was buried there, was engraved. The day after it was finished Rick and Michonne went into semi retirement, after having handed over their responsibilities to their children. After over 23 years of service, Rick and Michonne became the longest serving president and vice president of the country. Carl became the new President, he was in his mid-forties._

 _Several more years passed, news came from across the world. The walkers were finally dead, the plague had ended. The work that Rick, Michonne and their people had done became the foundation block on which the world was build back again. Repopulating the earth became the next mission. It was far easier than anything else they had faced. In the aftermath of the war people got married, even more people had children._

 _In the USA,_ _people felt safe enough to leave the city, and began to recolonize the rest of the country._

 _Rick 75 and Michonne 70, had became grand parents. Along the way so, did Maggie and Glenn, and Rosita. It was the 'next' stage in their lives of the survivors. As time passed their families grew larger and they got older._

 _Tara was the next to go, liver cancer was what Christina said tearfully. Rick suggested that she cut out his liver and give it to her ('I could always grown another one'). Christina thanked him, but reminded him that their blood groups needed to match. And they couldn't find a donor. Christina reminded them that they were still re-building and it would take many number of years before things got to the way it was._

 _When Christina told her, Tara knew exactly what to do. S_ _he spend a whole night laughing with her friends, remembering the old days, and then bid a teary goodnight to them._ _After they had left, Christina injected some drugs into her and then laid with her in bed. They kissed each other good night, as always, and then went to sleep._

 _Tara's name was engraved into the silver circular frame, by Christina. The orphanage she had began was then looked after by Christina and Morgan._

 _Maggie had developed a strange habit of forgetting things, soon after. It started during one of her meetings at the UNO, when she found it difficult to complete a sentence._ _After a few months they found out that she had_ _Alzheimer. A year later, it had gotten to a stage where she could't recognize anyone anymore. She would often look around, distrustfully, and mumble to herself._

 _Glenn tried to look after her the best he could with the help of his family and his kids. Through his contacts in Europe, he found that there was an experimental drug that was stored away in a lab that could perhaps save her. Unfortunately, they weren't willing to just send it off. The world was trying to get back on it's feet, they needed all the resources they had._ _A 60 year old Glenn got on a plane ready to take him there. For days he talked and convinced them to hand it over to him. They couldn't continue to say 'no' to him, as Michonne told Rick "everyone loves Glenn.'_

 _An elated Glenn stepped on board the plane for his trip back home and back to Maggie. However,_ _the plane got into a storm. It crash landed in the pacific and Glenn's body was lost at sea._

 _A funeral, with an empty casket, was held in his honor. His children and his grandchildren, his friends and family mourned for him. But Maggie sat alongside them looking dazed and confused as ever. Maggie and Rosita held her up and walked her towards his grave. Maggie placed some dirt in her hand, to which she irritably shook it off. Michonne did it again and held her hand, tilting it forwards, allowing the dirt to fall onto the casket._

 _Rick look on in sadness. They were all getting old, they were all getting sick. He looked towards Michonne, she was dressed in black sweater and skirt. Her hair was grey. Her body looked withered and tired. She had rheumatoid arthritis, and had suffered with it for the last 7 years. It started with joint pain and now had escalated to the point where she had to walk with a limp._

 _He turned away, and walked towards the silver pedestal. 'Glenn Rhee' he engraved into the circular frame._

 ** _17 Years later_**

 _Maggie...Rosita...Eugene...Morgan._

 _They stood looking at the pedestal, going over the names of everyone they had lost. Every time they read a name, a happy memory of them popped into their head._

 _Rick and Michonne were on one of their usual trips, to Alexandria._

 _93 year old Rick Grimes lowered himself, and knelt down next to her. Michonne turned to her left, and looked at him peering through her glasses._

 _"Come on...I got a surprise for you..."_

 _"What is it..?"_

 _"We're going on a little trip..just you and me..._

 _"Just you and me, huh?..." Michonne grinned at him and then nodded "Lead the way."_

 _Rick got back up and pushed wheeled the wheelchair, Michonne was sitting on, towards the gates. About 6 years ago, the Athritis had gotten so worse that it hurt her every time she walked. Slowly, her health deteriorated until she was confined to a wheel chair._

 _He opened the door and carried her into the passenger seat, put the wheelchair in the back, and got into the driver's seat._

 _They drove together for a while, listening to some music, looking around the countryside. It was a beautiful morning._

 _There weren't that many cars along the way. The roads had never been more cleaner. As far as technology goes, they were still stuck in 1920's, they were still building._

 _Rick looked across at his wife in the passenger seat, she had a smile on her face as she kept looking out the window. He knew they didn't have long. He had died of two heart attacks, already. Once in his sleep and once when he was sitting with his grandchildren._

 _But as always, he came back to life. Stronger and healthier than he used to be. He looked old, but his body was devoid of any of the physical limitations or damage caused by aging._ _And Michonne would sit next to him, holding his hand waiting to see him open his eyes._

 _..._

 _"DAD...DAD...LOOK IT'S RICK AND MICHONNE!:_

 _A boy pointed at them as they passed them by._

 _"Stop it, Seth. It's rude to point. My sincerest apologies Mr. and Mrs. Grimes." the man said, blushing slightly._

 _"It's okay", Michonne nodded at the young man and his son. She pinched the little boy's cheeks and talked to him a little._

 _They waved at them and moved along, Rick pushing Michonne's wheelchair. The last time Rick was here, the streets were crawling with walkers. He recalled how nervous he felt, when he and Glenn had to walk through them wearing humans guts around them._

 _Now, it was crawling with people. All clamoring out of their homes, trying to get a good look at their former leaders. They had learned about them, they had heard stories and here they were walking along on the pavement._

 _Michonne looked around at the familiar street, filled with people. She knew where she was. She held his hand and looked up at him._

 _"My old drawings..." she remarked, happily._

 _They were in her parents' house, in her old room. Most of her things had been put away in boxes._

 _Rick looked over her shoulder at the sketches of women wearing tops, pants and skirts, with bags over their shoulders. Even with his limited knowledge about fashion, he knew he was looking at some exquisite designs._

 _They spend most of the day, retrieving her things from her boxes. Among them were her mother's earrings - Rick looked them at fondly and then it passed it over to her._

 _"My mom gave me these, right after I got my first job. I wish I could've been here to protect her...It was on the news, people were going crazy. Dad was in Ohio. He said he was catching a flight home but there was an accident and he never made it to the airport. I was in the office. I called Mike, Andre was with him. We came as soon as we could, but we were too late. Some one had broken in. Mom was shot, she was lying in a pool of blood over by front door"_

 _Michonne closed her tired old eyes, in a silent prayer, for her parents. Rick rubbed her shoulders. She turned to her side and kissed his knuckles. "Thank you.."_

 _"Nah...thank you...I'm finally in your room."_

 _Michonne snickered slightly._

 _Rick looked around her room "I was going to come here that day. I got up early morning, went to see my friend. Got your number...and I drove straight to the city."_

 _"And I was sitting here bitching about you to my friend, Cindy." Michonne grinned at him._

 _"I spent so long, trying to find your number in the phone book. Saw your Dad's name, saw the address, was going to drive here. But I thought I should call first. Shouldn't have done that. Should have just come here...You know, I was late to work that day. And I had taken the squad car with me. My reporting officer, Deputy Smith, he was so mad..._

 _They laughed together._

 _"I nearly got fired that day..." Rick rubbed his face and ran his hands back through his grey hair. "Come, our little trip ain't over."_

 _The current residents of the household, quickly helped Rick carry the boxes to his car.A large crowd had gathered outside to see them._

 _Rick and Michonne bid them goodbye and drove to their next destination._

...

 _"Godfather" Michonne nodded approvingly._

 _Rick handed over the book for her to see. They were in his parents house, in his old room._

 _"My Dad used to read it. It was his favorite. He gave it to me when I was 18, and I read it and it became favorite."_

 _The house was located on the country side. The entire area looked_ _abandoned, from the looks of it, people had yet to explore King's county._

 _Michonne looked over their family albums, going through old photos of Rick, his brother, and his parents._

 _"Wait..."_

 _Rick fell on to his knees and put his hands under the bed. He felt the handle of it, his fingers touched the strings. He had tied up the guitar, under his bed, around the hinges._

 _He pulled out the old, rusty guitar and looked at it in pride. "It's a been while.. I moved out when I was 24. Mom wanted me to stay here, but I wanted to get a new place for myself. I put this under bed, and took it out every time I came to visit."_

 _Rick stood looking at the guitar, the strings were lose, it looked battered and old. "I can't remember the last time I played this."_

 _"Play it for me" Michonne grinned at her husband._

 _Rick blew the dust off it and coughed a lot. He tightened the strings, hummed a tune and looked towards Michonne._

 _She moved forward pushing at the wheels, and looked at him eagerly._

 _Rick began to sing._

 _..._

 _They had quite a day, they visited the bar where they had their first phone conversation. They went to the dance club where they were first supposed to meet. They looked around the dance floor relieving their early days._

 _In the afternoon they headed back home. The back seat of the car contained boxes of their old things. It was close to 4 Pm in the evening when they reached the outskirts of Washington._

 _But their day was not quite over. As Rick had promised on the Oval office balcony, 43 years ago, he took her out on a coffee date like a normal couple._

 _Their youngest son, Daryl Grimes had decided to open a restaurant about a week ago. Unlike his brother and his two sisters, Daryl had stayed away from politics and leadership. He, as he told his parents, wanted to do his own 'thing'. Of course it did take a long time for him to find what that 'thing' was. He was 51 years old, had a daughter and a wife and was living off the Grimes name._

 _Michonne was initially disappointed, but Rick reminded her off their own dreams and how they had strayed away from it. They didn't do it because they were afraid of disappointing their parents._

 _"He's just doing what we couldn't do." Rick said to her that night in bed, after Daryl Grimes and Michonne had an argument._

 _To which Michonne replied "I just wish he had done it sooner."_

 _As Rick parked the car, they looked up at the sign outside. "MICHONNE'S"_

 _She sighed at it and closed her eyes, smiling and shaking her head. Daryl Grimes ran outside the door to greet his parents._

 _"He wanted it to be a surprise." Rick whispered to her. "He wanted you to be the one to inaugurate it."_ _Daryl opened the door and hugged his mom. "I love you, honey. Congratulations." She said to him, giving him a kiss._ _  
_

 _They got out her wheelchair and pushed her towards the front door, with a red tied around it. Their whole family was there, Carl, Judith, Andrea, Glenn and their respective spouses. Maggie and Glenn's kids, Abraham and Rosita's along with all their grand children._

 _Michonne covered her face and cried in joy. Her frail hand reached out and held it around Rick's arm. He patted her lightly_ _and pushed her forwards. "Come on, they are waiting for you."_

 _Michonne took the scissors from Daryl and made the cut._

 _People applauded all around her. There were many others there as well, friends of their children and grandchildren, along with photographers and reporters. More people started gathering around to look at all of them together._

 _They stepped inside and sat at their tables. Daryl and Rick helped her into their booth and then Rick sat next to her. Daryl himself, took their orders and then directed his staff to look after his brother and sisters and everybody else._

 _There was a whole lot of noise around them as the whole Grimes clan celebrated Daryl's success._

 _"You could have told me." Michonne whispered to him, with a smile._

 _"And miss that smile on your face...no way." Rick answered back. "Still, he could have named it after me, you know." he added in mock jealousy._

 _She looked into his handsome face, and stared into his blue eyes. "I love you." She leaned across and kissed him._

 _"I love you, too, baby." he replied back._

 _She inserted her right arm around his left, and rested her head on his shoulder._

 _Rick kissed the top of her head and looked around at everyone. Kids were running around playing tag._ _Carl and the rest of the parents kept looking at Rick, waiting for his signal._

 _It was almost time._

 _Inside the kitchen the chef decorated a cake, with the icing of a gun and a katana. While Daryl watched him over his shoulder, pestering him with directions on how it should look. In the center of the cake he wrote "Happy 50'th Wedding Anniversary."_

 _"I have one more surprise for you..." Rick whispered, just as they brought their coffees to the table._

 _Rick looked to his side at her resting against his shoulder._ _"Michonne..."_

 _He gently shook her, "Michonne..."_

 _Her head slumped to the side, her eyes were shut, a ghost of a smile on her face._

 _"Is she asleep?" Rick turned around to look at his grand daughter standing by his side, curiously looking at her grand mother._

 _Rick stared at her wordlessly. His eyes started brimming with tears as he bit his lip._

 _He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. He replied back with a smile. "Yeah, sweetie..."_

 _Rick turned look at Michonne's motionless body_ _"She's...she's just sleeping."_

 **1 Year later**

 _Michonne Grimes_

Rick stood alone in Alexandria, staring at the name on the circular frame of the silver colored pedestal. He looked all around him, at the graves of his friends. Since Michonne's death, Rick had left the city and had moved to Alexandria.

His children often visited, asking him to come stay with them. But he politely declined and told them to go on with their lives. "I want to stay here, it feels like she's close by...like I'm not alone."

He stayed inside Alexandria, by himself. He kept the gates locked and only opened them for his children and children of all his friends.

That morning, he received a phone call from Christina, asking to see him.

The next day, Rick got into his car and drove to Washington.

"Christina-?"

Christina stopped writing and looked up at her visitor, standing at the foot of her bed, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Rick!" She smiled at him, trying to sit up. Rick moved to her side and helped her up against the headboard.

"What're you writing?"

"...About how we saved the world..."

"Oh.." Rick nodded, laughing to himself. "And...how does it end?"

"Well, your kids got married and you and Michonne go up to the balcony and you sit down on a couch, hold hands, and say I love you. Then you two look over the entire city, looking at everything you had achieved together. We all lived happily ever after."

"That sounds..." Rick sighed. "That's a good ending."

Christina shrugged at him. "Everyone knows what happened next. But as far as my book goes, we all get a happy ending...and that's how the story ends."

Rick smiled at her in sadness. She was right, everyone knows what happened next.

"I got an aneurysm in my brain. 87 years and I found out yesterday. It won't be long now...being old sucks!"

Rick laughed at the comment of his friend.

They sat talking for a long time, about the past and the future.

At the end of which Rick held his head in his hand, silently crying into it.

"I know it's hard...but you have to stay alive. The world is still not quite there yet. It's going to take a long time, until we get back to how we were in 2010."

Rick raised his head and looked at her in sadness and hope. He nodded and said "You really think it's going to work."

"I...I have faith in you." She replied back confidently.

...

 **107 years later**

The world had changed around him. Cities and people grew, and things got back to the way it used to be, like in 2010 before the apocalyose. There was hardly any crime and the world was at peace.

They had built monuments and statues in honor of all the survivors. Streets and buildings were named after them. In schools, history classes had a text books on Rick Grimes and his family. Stories of their survival in the apocalypse era was retold, discussed and debated. Of course, one of the famous debates was if Michonne had died during the attack of the wolves.

Rick Grimes was 201, and still alive. He had lost count on the number of times he had died during the last century. His body healed, but his extreme age kept affecting he health. As he kept dying each time, the regeneration process became faster. What used to take hours, now only took minuted.

He still lived in Alexandria and watched as the world grew around him. He kept the gates locked as he had become an object to be stared at. People traveled from all around the world and waited outside the gates to get a glimpse of him.

He had watched his children and his grandchildren die and buried each of them. He had great-great grandchildren who would sometimes come and see him. But they weren't close. To them he was a fascination, a myth, just like the rest of the world

Rick Grimes, kept to himself, spending most of the days farming and looking after Alexandria.

On his 201'st birthday, he found out that he no longer needed to stay alive.

He got up that morning and looked around his old bedroom and bathroom, remembering the first time he had made love to Michonne. He walked around the streets in nostalgia stopping at Glenn's old house, thinking back to the night of the party. She had looked so beautiful that day and he had kissed her for the first time.

He discovered an old photograph from that night, everyone was in it. Rick and Michonne were in one corner talking. Abraham and Rosita, Christina and Tara, along with Glenn and Maggie holding Judith, who were the only ones posing for the picture. Morgan standing in another corner of the room eating dinner alongside Sasha who was looking at him, with Eugene in the background. And of course, Carol and Daryl standing next to Carl. Daryl had raised two of his fingers behind Carl's head.

He cried in joy as he stared at the picture. He couldn't even remember when they had taken it. Seeing all their happy faces, knowing that he was about to join them.

Rick took the picture along with him and then went back to his room. He retrieved the old boxes from his closet, that contained all the pictures and drawings and personal belongings.

He went to the back yard and looked at each of them. He burned them one by one until nothing was left.

Rick stepped back into the house one last time and went to his closet to retrieve a few more items. Among them were Michonne's sword and his old Colt Python. He placed it on her side of the bed and walked out.

He walked towards Daryl's and Carol's room and placed his crossbow in his side of the bed and her knife on her side. He went to Morgan's room and placed his staff and Carl's hat on Carl's bed.

He looked around the house one last time and closed the door.

He did the same at Glenn's house, leaving a personal belonging of each person he had.

The old man then slowly made his way to the graveyard, stopping only to pluck some flowers. He passed the silvered colored pedestal, and for the first time didn't stop to glimpse at it.

He walked towards Carol's grave and laid the flowers over it. He looked to the side at Daryls' and then whispered to both. I hope you two find each other."

He then passed over each grave, stopping to say something to each of his friends, until finally he was at Michonne's.

"Rick..."

The voice in his head was back. It hadn't talked to him, since the day he decided he was leaving for Washington.

"WHAT? I thought you said THAT was the last time..."

"I know, but since this is THE last time, I just wanted to say goodbye and that I'm proud of you man. I'm glad I got to be you. I hope you find her...and get to be with her."

"Okay..." Rick swallowed nervously."Goodbye...and thank you."

Rick knelt down in front of her grave and stared at the name on her headstone. Memories rushed into his head like water. He could almost feel her touch, he could almost her speak her, he could almost smell her scent.

...

 _Hi, uh...is this the bar - 'Drinks & Good Times' ?"_

 _Definitely not someone from around here, Rick thought to himself._

 _"Yes it is. How can I help you?"_

 _After a brief pause, she replied_

 _"Hi, I was in the bar 2 days ago. I think I lost an earring of mine over there. I was wondering if you had come across it?"_

 _..._

 _Jeff looked at Rick, incredulously, "she's a beautiful black woman, hot boobs, amazing butt and did I mention drop dead gorgeous? Oh, and by the way she was dressed, I'd say she was looking forward to meeting you!"_

 _Rick was taken aback for a moment, "What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean a girl does not put on a smoking hot dress, and come looking that gorgeous, just to meet a guy, to collect a lost possession."_

 _Rick quickly looked around if he could spot her. "Where is she? She didn't leave, did she?"_

 _"afraid so, Rick. You see, your girlfriend figured out that I wasn't you. May be it was something I said, I don't know. But then I said you were my brother and I pointed you out. Unfortunately, you were back there flirting with Laurie. Your back was turned to us, but we could tell you guys were having a good time. The poor girl had this hurt expression on her face. She asked me to tell you 'thank you' from her, and left."_

 _Rick immediately felt guilty. He wanted to meet her as well. But Jeff had pushed him towards Laurie and he just got caught up in moment._

 _"Relax man. Maybe it wasn't meant to be! May be you were supposed to end up with Laurie tonight._

...

 _"uh.. this is...Jeff. Actually I'm Rick. Jeff is my..."_

 _Cindy realized who it was - 'the balls on this bastard! Glad, Michonne used her mother's name.'_

 _"Jeff, as in Jeff from the party?" Cindy inquired quietly._

 _Rick responded, hesitantly "UHHH...yes. Kind of. Actually I'm... I'm sorry who is this?"_

 _"I'm her friend! Look Jeff, I hear you're big on giving out advice to kids. Let me give you one - why don't you do what ADULTS do, and go play with someone your own age. In fact, I heard you met someone last night. So why don't you give her a call. Wait a minute! How did you get this number?"_

 _Rick patiently waited for her to finish, "Uh...they have a...caller ID at the bar! Look, I just want to talk to her, alright? What happened last night was a misunderstanding. Look I can give you my number, can you tell Michelle to call me back? Or I could call her, just tell me when she'll be free."_

 _"Don't you get it? She does not want to speak to you. Look she's got her exams coming up. So will you leave her alone?"_

 _Rick stared down the phone book, and saw the address next to the number._

 _Samsonn Ferai,_

 _2201 Oak Lane,_

 _Rick always knew that he had a wild side. A side that acted out on impulse and anger. That side was telling him to hang up and drive down to her house. He could wait outside, until she got back._

 _'STOP!' JUST STOP. THE GIRL DOES NOT WANT TO SEE YOU!' - his rational side reasoned with him. 'JUST LET HER GO. SHE'S NOT MEANT FOR YOU'._

 _Rick took a deep breath and spoke into the receiver, "alright. Just tell her I'm sorry". Rick put down the receiver and walked away from the payphone. He kicked the front-left tyre of his car, in frustration. He looked around him, at downtown Atlanta, as he decided to head back to King's county."_

 _..._

 _Why did this take so long?"_

 _'cause I didn't think I could ever fall in love again...and I didn't know I was, until now._

 _..._

 _Megan looked at Michonne and smiled "So It was you. I was the girl on the couch! Remember? You came in all dressed up. God I may have forgotten your face, but I'll never forget that dress. It was just so beautiful. Anyways, you came up to me and asked about Jeff. And I pointed you in his direction and I think I said 'you missed your chance or something'. Megan giggled at her last comment, before continuing; "He was with that blonde – she had this weird name…."_

 _"Lavanya" Rick said quietly._

 _Michonne turned to look at him, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time. She saw his brother's resemblance. She remembered the voice on the phone, from their first conversation. She recalled why Rick's voice sounded familiar the first time he spoke to her, at the prison_

 _"Hey, hey..it's all right. Look at me. Look at me"._

 _She was looking at him, now. She was looking at his face, his eyes, his nose, his lips – the face she was meant to see 18 years ago. The man she dressed up for, and drove 50 miles to meet, on a school night._

 _"A 'thank you' would be nice"_

 _"Sure, no problem! Just point me towards the Jeff I spoke with last night."_

 _"He's right over there" Jeff pointed towards another guy. He was standing at the corner of the room talking to a brunette. His back was turned towards them._

 _"That's my bother, he's name's-_

 _"I am leaving. Thank your brother for me."_

 _It was him. It was Rick!_

 _Rick's blue eyes reflected back at her with effervescent joy. His face split into a wide grin. The band aid under his eye scrunched together, as he smiled. His arms reached out from his sides and cupped her face. He swallowed hard barely able to restrain everything he was feeling at the moment. "Michelle!", was all he could say._

 _Michonne gripped his hands and squeezed them. "Jeff", she quietly whispered._

 _For a second the world had stopped spinning. There were no walkers. They weren't surrounded by death and danger. They weren't damaged by the people they lost or the people they killed. They were an 18 year old high school girl and a 23 year old cop, who had – finally– met for the first time._

 _..._

 _She shuffled her feet in the dirt and looked at him in the eye. 'You're quite dreamy, you know. That mix of grey and black hair. Ruggedly handsome, blue eyes, that southern accent…OH! STOP IT. GET A GRIP. You're not 18 and meeting some stranger at a party.'_

 _He noticed the hesitancy and trepidation in her stance. 'Oh shit! She's feeling awkward. She's probably thinking about what I tried to do last night.'_

 _"Hey, Michonne, you okay?"_

 _"Hmmmm…? Yeah I'm fine. You?"_

 _"….If this is about last night?..._

 _She held her breath waiting for him to finish._

 _'What're you thinking, Michonne? I can't get a read on you today.' He thought as he paused uncertainly to complete his sentence._

 _"…I just want to say….. I am sorry…."_

 _Michonne's shoulders slouched a bit in disappointment._

 _Rick blinked at her, unsure if he had misread her signs. His mind was racing 'Wait! You were….are you disappointed?…did you like that I tried to kiss...did you want me to….?'_

 _"It's okay, Rick. We were talking about our past…we got a bit emotional. Uh...I got to go. I said I'd help Maggie with...something"_

 _She quickly turned around to leave._

 _"Michonne?..."_

 _"I got to go- Rick. I'll talk-see you….. la-ter." 'Oh my God, I'm struggling to get a sentence out. What the hell is wrong with me? She thought as she quickly tried to walk away._

 _"MICHONNE!"_

 _She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him._

 _Rick stood a few feet away, with a determined look on his face. He felt his heart rate begin to rise. He heard each beat, as it pounded faster and faster in his chest._

 _He took a deep breath, and then. "I'm sorry for NOT kissing you, last night. I wish I had - I wanted to."_

 _Michonne blinked back at Rick, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She felt her cheeks starting to get warm. She blushed and then her face slowly split into a smile._

 _He felt a tremendous weight lift from his chest. He knew he will never forget that look on her face._

 _His felt elated as he thought...'God! You're so beautiful. How could have I been so blind? You've been standing in front of me and I looked at someone else, because she reminded me of my past? I'm sorry Michonne, I am a dumb-ass! 'Cause only someone like that could not see you for who you are. You're strong, you're brave...you're fierce, and you're a warrior...at the same time...You're gorgeous, you're compassionate, you're kind, you're caring, you're sweet...my kids, they love you. And I...I think I'm getting there.'_

 _She walked towards him. "Well, maybe you should try again."_

 _"Oh, I intend to" he replied taking a step forward_

 _"RICCCKKK, we're ready"._

 _It was Tobin with the usual group of men and woman. 2 weeks ago, Rick had implemented a new system of farming, where a representative of each family would participate. People were eager to join as they realized they could grow food for themselves, and wouldn't have to depend on any kind of rations or quotas._

 _Rick was teaching them everything he had learnt from Hershel. Today, he had almost forgotten about it._

 _Rick turned back to see Tobin wave at him from the distance. He raised his hand up to signal Tobin, he had heard him._

 _Exasperated, he looked back at Michonne and smiled at her apologetically._

 _"It's okay, Rick. You go ahead"_

 _"Maybe….we can see each other…later?" Rick asked sincerely._

 _"Yeah…maybe…." Michonne replied, teasingly._

 _She saw his eyes move up all over her face taking in every detail. He seemed to be thinking about something. And then without warning, he slightly raised his chin and brought his lips to her forehead._

 _He then stepped back, and looked at her._

 _The moment their eyes met, they chuckled at each other._

 _"Was that a tease?"She asked him._

 _"No...That was me saying...you're beautiful" He said quietly. "I'll see you later."_

 _With that Rick took a step back and slowly turned around. He walked towards the group of 'aspiring farmers'. There was a spring in his step and the widest grin on his face._

 _Michonne watched as he walked away and turned around, with her own grin. As she walked towards Maggie's house, she kept recalling what had just happened._

 _'Did Rick just flirt with me?'_

 _..._

 _Rick had just turned towards the watch tower when Tred had spotted him. Form across the distance, they stared at each other in vengeance and fury._

 _Tred opened fire on them. The bullets rained down upon them, as Rick and Michonne huddled together for cover._

 _From inside Alexandria they could here more gun shots_

 _"We got to get in there!" Michonne yelled through the gun fire._

 _"Let's go for the West wall! The houses on that end are bigger, he won't be able to spot us." Rick replied back. "I'm going to take a few shots at him...make him think we're trying for the gate... "_

 _"...and then we go back the same way...head for the wall...he'll tell his people we're out here..." Michonne finished his chain of thought._

 _Rick stared back at her as he kept breathing in and breathing out "we're gonna get through this."_

 _They were lying on their bellies; faces a few inches apart, while bullets flew around them_

 _There was a pregnant pause, before Michonne replied "I know...I believe in you, Rick."_

...

 _He smirked slightly "...I'm heavier than I look...besides, i'll just slow you down, leave a blood trail... Those bastards will catch up... and they'll kill you. I'm already dead..you shouldn't waste your time on me. You need to get back and...help them..."_

 _"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU THINK, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE YOU?"_

 _"Michonne..._

 _"you said 'we stick together no matter what'. I'm sticking with you. If we're going to die, we're gonna die together."_

 _She tore a piece of her shirt, around her waist, and wiped the sweat off his face._

 _"Michonne...please...Carl and Judy are back there. You gotta protect them. They can't grow up in a world without the both of us. You got to look out for them...tell them I'm sorry and I..tried...Tell them that I... love them very much."_

 _"WE're BOTH going to be there for them...all I need is a long piece of cloth." Michonne looked around desperately. "You could lie on it and-and I'll drag you..."_

 _"Michonne, stop..._

 _"No, Rick I'm thinking...or a branch - a long one. You could just hold on...or..." she covered her face with her hands "I just need to think...I just need..."_

 _"...you need to leave..NOW."_

 _"NO...we can figure something out...Rick...Rick stay with me...PLEASE...PLEASE!"_

 _Rick had closed his eyes again. He licked his lips, dryly._

 _'He lost a lot of blood...he needs fluids...water...' She raised her hands; covered in Rick's blood from helping him walk, and looked around desperately. She looked at the sky above her for a hint of rain, and then at the ground beneath her._

 _She took a few steps back and fell on her knees. Using her fingers she violently scratched against the earth, trying to dig through the rocky exterior. It broke her nails and tore through her skin; she barely flinched as she kept digging until she realized the stream was located far towards the East. Geographically, they were on the opposite end. This area had nothing but rocks._

 _She looked at the bruises and cuts on her fingers, and then at her sword. Rubbing her hands against her clothes, she grabbed the sword with her right hand and made a cut to the index and middle fingers of her left hand._

 _Still on her knees, Michonne moved towards Rick and held her fingers towards his dehydrated lips; he sucked on them gratefully._

 _She watched him sadly as her mind flashed over last night_

...

 _Guys Rick and I were just talking – we were getting to know each other. There's no need to make a big deal out -"_

 _She heard footsteps behind her. Michonne turned around to see Rick walk towards her._

 _As he reached her, he placed both hands around her cheeks and puller her towards him. He brought his face towards her, and kissed her lips for the first time._

 _Her hands went around his back and held onto him as tight she could. She kept her head raised as she kissed him back; she pushed her body into him and felt his heart beating in his chest._

 _Their lips broke apart, breathless, as a thread of saliva hung between her lips and his. They lovingly stared at each other, unable to look away._

 _Rick whispered for Michonne to hear "'I'm saying I like you, and I WANT YOU TO KISS ME! That's what you were saying earlier."_

 _She traced her fingers around his lips. "Yeah."_

...

 _"Kiss me..." He said breathlessly._

 _She knew what he was asking, she understood what it meant._

 _She shook her head in anger "NO! NO, you don't get to do that. I'm going to find a way to get Christina out here. After she fixes you up, I'll...I'll kiss you. I'll... hold you as tight as I can...and I'll never let go...we'll be together..." Her voice finally broke. She couldn't go on. Her chest felt heavy, she was finding it difficult to breathe...and then she let it all go._

 _Michonne lowered her head and put her hand on his shoulders. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. Her whole body shuddered as she cried, taking deep breaths in between._

 _Rick watched her cry through his blood shot eyes. His body, tired and broken, didn't have anything left in it. He wanted to touch her, but his arms felt like they were tied down to the ground._

 _Michonne raised her head, and looked into at him. She leaned forward and placed her hands on either sides of his head. She took his lips in her mouth and tasted her blood on them. She opened her mouth slightly and felt his dry tongue push forward. With all the energy he could muster, he lightly brushed against the inside of her mouth trying to savor ever inch of it one last time. Michonne's fingers caressed his hair, as she held on tightly. He finally enclosed his lips around her upper lip, unable to let go._

 _For second, it felt like a few hours ago; they were standing under the shower, rubbing their bodies, tasting and touching each other. Confessing their true feelings, while making love. Feeling safe in each other's arms, blissfully happy and content._

 _But they were out in the woods, kissing each other goodbye. "I love you, Michonne. I love you so much" he said, as their lips finally broke apart. They rested their foreheads pressed against against each other._

...

 _The place was exactly as Wilson had described it. Rick ran towards a spot that looked like it had been recently dug. He suddenly felt afraid of what he was about to find in there. He used his bare hands and dug into the earth as fast as he could._

 _"MICHONNE...CAN YOU HEAR ME... MICHONNE...MICHO-"_

 _He saw it, in the midst of all the dirt - a hand that lay motionless. Rick quickly dug around it. Finally, his hands brushed over her body. Rick reached into the mud and heaved away handfuls of dirt, like a man possessed._

 _Brushing away all the mud around her face, he grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Sitting on his knees, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes._

 _Rocking back forth he whispered into her ear "No, no, no, no...I'm here...please just.. just open your eyes."_

 _Placing his right hand on her back, he rubbed her gently. "We are supposed to be together...We were always meant to be together..._

 _But she lay motionless against his shoulders._

 _Gently placing his left hand behind her head, he laid her down. He saw the blood glistening around her waist;he saw blood stained bra that was barely covering her breasts; he saw the scratches and imprint of several hands on her body; he saw the bashed in side of her face; he saw his own tears fall over her body._

 _He brain felt like it was about to explode. He grabbed both sides of his head, trying to hold the pain, as he sobbed uncontrollably._

 _Unable to accept it Rick raised her body; one hand behind her back and the other behind her head; and held his head towards her chest, trying to listen for a heart beat. He laid her back and started performing CPR. He repeatedly breathed into her mouth, trying to pour all the air he had into her lungs finally causing him to cough wildly._

 _Rick stared back at her, almost willing her to get back up. But she remained motionless, with her eyes shut. He bend over her and brushed his ace against her's. He kissed her dust covered forehead and then her lips. His hands trembled as he softly touched her arm; he pulled her towards him._

 _Carrying her in his arms he sat down in the 'grave', with his back to the wall. Placing her across his lap, he held her lifeless body tightly against his chest and pressed his lips into her cheek as he cried. "It's okay...it's all over now...It's all..."_

 _Rick eyes widened as a sudden thought occurred to him._

 _He looked back at Michonne, who lie dead in his arms. 'I can bring you back!'_

...

 _Rick climbed over the side of the bed and embraced her warmly, arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. As he caressed her face, it didn't feel cold anymore._

 _He opened his eyes, and raised his head to look at her. The bruising on the side of her face had subsided, and her cheek bones looked as if they had straightened out._

 _"uuuhhhh.." She gasped for air, and raised her head._

 _Rick moved back in shock and fell off the bed._

 _Quickly pushing himself, Rick stood in shock with his mouth slightly open._

 _Wide eyed and looking just as shocked as Rick, Michonne stared back at him_

 _"Rick..."_

 _Hardly daring to breathe, he blinked back at her several times, afraid if he was hallucinating._

 _Michonne looked back at him, utterly shocked. She glanced back and forth between him and the familiar surroundings of the infirmary and then at herself in the back strapless dress._

 _"Where...how am I..."_

 _She cringed in pain, and clasped her left hand over her belly, where she had been shot. Placing her right palm on the bed for support she slid backwards towards the railings behind her._

 _She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Horrifying images of Rick, bleeding to his death, asking her to leave him behind, flashed through her mind._

 _As she opened them again she looked at him "You're...bleeding.." She rasped, anxiously._

 _Following her line sight of Rick looked down to his left side; a dark stain was beginning to form on his shirt. He had torn open his stitches when he had fallen of the bed._

 _His eyes stung as they began to well up; his vision began to blur, causing him to blink. Drops of tears streamed down his face. His lips quivered as they broke into a grin. He laughed, overcome with relief and joy, and rushed towards her._

 _Placing his knee, he climbed over the bed and embraced her living, breathing, warm body. His arms wrapped around her exposed shoulders and pulled her towards his chest._

 _She could hear the beating of his heart. She rubbed her face into his sweaty shirt, crying into it, breathing in his scent. Her hands crawled upwards and held onto either sides of his shoulders, her finger nails digging into the fabric of his shirt_

 _He ran his fingers over her back; rubbing her skin, feeling it underneath his fingers. His saw his own tears drop onto her body, as he lowered his head and repeatedly kissed into her shoulders and her neck. His ran his fingers, upwards, through her hair and placed it behind her head._

 _Michonne raised her head upwards as her hands reached for his face._

 _As Rick felt her fingers on his cheek, he lowered his head._

 _They closed their eyes and wrapped their arms around each other. Their noses brushed and pressed against each other. Enclosing their lips, their tongues met twisting and turning, savoring everything they could taste. Their minds blank, all except for one thought;_

 _'You and I. Today and always.'_

...

 _He watched her beautiful face stare up at him and then turn to her side. Her lips opened over the side of his length and softly kissed it, running her tongue down the side. A little bit of his hair got into her mouth. She stuck out her tongue and pulled it out with her hand._

 _She smiled awkwardly up at him._

 _Rick shook his head, smiling. "You don't have to.."_

 _She licked her lips "I want to...every inch of it", her eyes reflected back at him passionately._

 _She moved back her head and looked at the head of his penis. Readying herself, she opened her mouth and engorged the tip. Slowly, tasting him, feeling him inside her mouth._

 _Time seemed to come at a stand still for Rick. Maybe it was her tongue, or maybe it was just the thought of her sucking him. Whatever it was, it felt absolutely incredible as she repeatedly slid her mouth over him. Occasionally, he felt her teeth brush against his flesh. He moaned closing his eyes_

 _She stopped and pulled her mouth of him "Did that hurt?" She asked looking anxious._

 _"No...It's perfect. You're ...perfect..." Rick said assuredly, trying to catch his breath. Michonne blushed a little and looked back at his length. Before she could open her mouth again, Rick reached down and kissed her, tasting himself for the first time. They fell back on to floor as he spread apart her legs, ready to enter her._

 _Grabbing her thighs he pulled her closer. He penetrated her slowly, feeling her insides contract around him. He started moving back and forth at a steady pace._

 _They continued to kiss, moving their hips together as they made love. Their lips broke apart and they looked at each other. Rick started to increase his pace, thrusting forwards harder and deeper, as Michonne cried out in pleasure._

 _The injury to his ribs started to ache in protest. Rick felt himself slow down, biting down on the pain and pleasure he was feeling. She grabbed his ass cheeks and clenched her fingers over them. "Don't stop...Don't stop...oh...Yes..YES.."_

 _He groaned as he moved faster, not stopping to think about the pain. Rick grabbed her arms and pinned them down; Michonne moaned in pleasure as she felt every inch of him inside her. Powerful waves of orgasm swept throughout her body multiple times as Rick kept thrusting into her._

 _Finally, clenching his jaw, he ejaculated; pumping his thick load of semen deep into her. His body jerked a few more times, as she felt the final drops seep into her. He collapsed over her, as she lay on the floor feeling light headed, staring up at the ceiling in a dazed._

 _"That was..." he tried to form as their sweaty bodies lay against each other._

 _"...incredible..", his voice broke as he finished._

 _Michonne started laughing, staring up at the ceiling, feeling a sense of gratitude and joy. And then as the laughter died away, she started to break down. Tears rolled down the side of her face, as she covered her mouth with her right hand. Her body shook with tiny jerks, as she tried to control her tears._

 _Rick raised his head to look at her; he looked just as broken as she was. He wiped her tears away, and then caressed the side of her face. He shifted his weight, off her and lied down on his side. With his left he pulled her into a embrace, as she weeped into his chest._

...

 _Michonne opened the gun chamber and extended her palm towards him. One by one he handed over the bullets, as she loaded them into the chamber of the gun. As she was about to load the the sixth and final bullet, She froze briefly as she saw a small wooden box . She opened it and saw a diamond ring; the stone was a bit jagged around the edges and the metal looked like it had been melted, in the form of a circle, to hold the stone._

 _She froze, blinking hard, looking at it. She turned back to look at him with a mixture of emotion and surprise on her face._

 _Kneeling on one knee he looked up at her "..been making that for a while now. Found the stone in the woods and then melted copper to form the ring. I know you deserve more..but.._

 _He held his right hand to his chest..."I wanted to make that for you. See I've had this crush on you since I was 23... And I've been in love with you for a couple of years...the kind that makes me look at the skkkyyyy and wonder about the birds and the shape of the clouds..."_

 _Michonne bit her lips, trying to control her tears and laughter._

 _Rick grinned at her..."I know I can be difficult and stubborn, at times...Sometimes I do stupid things. But not so much since you've come into my life. What I'm trying to say is...I love you, Michonne...I LOVE YOU...so much that I..._

 _Rick started laughing again, this time he had tears._

 _"...so much that...I wanna save the world! For you and our children... You make me happy...in fact the only way I can be happier is... if you marry me._

 _He paused to wipe his nose._

 _"Michonne Ferai...will you marry me?"_

 _She sniffed and laughed in joy, recalling the first time she had heard his voice._

 _"Yes.." she nodded. "Yes...You've kinda had me at 'hello'._

 _Rick got back up on his feet and pulled the ring out of it's case. She extended her left hand towards him and he slid the ring on to her finger._

 _"I love you." She whispered._

 _They leaned in and kissed as the final light of the setting sun washed over them._

...

 _Rick stood in church, waiting for Michonne to walk down the aisle. He laughed thinking of the last time he was here._

 _'Would I be standing here, today, if I had met her that night?"_

 _As the doors to the church opened, everyone turned to see the flower girl walk in - Judith, along with Maggie carrying Andrea in her arms._

 _Then came the groomsmen - Abraham and Morgan along with the bridesmaids._

 _Finally, Michonne walked in with her most dazzling smile. She was the most beautiful bride he had seen. Carl was the one to walk her down the aisle, to give her away to Rick. He couldn't think of anyone more perfect._

 _Rick turned ever so briefly, and looked at the crucifix and the Jesus Christ that was hanging from it. For a second he was back in the church in the outskirts of Georgia. The Church they had come across when Sofia had gone missing. He remembered asking for a 'chance'. He looked up at the face of Christ, and said ever so quietly, "Thank you!"_

 _Carl kissed Michonne's cheek and then shook his father's hand. "Take care of her." Carl said gruffly, like an old man._

 _Rick nodded, keeping a straight face, as Carl placed her hand in his palm._

 _"Ready"?_

 _She squeezed his fingers, gently, and said, "ready."_

...

 _"Tell me, Rick. How long are you going to be out there? How long do you think it's going to take you to clear out Washington, and take the White House?"_

 _"We can stay in contact..we can use the walkie-talkies and the radio to stay in touch.."_

 _"How long do our kids wait before they see their father and brother, again? Because they are going to ask me and I am going to have to tell them something. And I, as strong as you think I am, I'd still want to know for myself how long would I have to wait before I see my husband and son again."_

 _Daryl touched his father's face softly, while his mother looked up at his father; her brown eyes brimming in sadness as she stared into his blue ones. He held her gently around her waist and pushed her closer. "I don't know. But nothing is more important to me than you and the kids. So if you think this is the wrong decision I won't do it. If you don't want me going out there, I won't do it."_

 _Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head. Rick embraced her with one arm and laid his head on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent, feeling his beating heart against her chest. She interlocked her hands around him and whispered for him to hear._

 _"It's not the wrong decision. And I don't want you going out there, but I know you have to because I know you. So if you want me to stay here and take care of our kids, be the leader, look after the communities, wait for you and Carl to come back...I'll do it. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for my husband, for the father of my children, I love you, Rick...so go save the world and then come back to me."_

...

 _"Michone...can you hear me?"_

 _"Michonne..."_

 _All he could hear was static. He tried again._

 _"Michonne...can you hear me.."_

 _"YES! YES, I can..." Michonne wanted to pinch herself, make sure that this wasn't all a dream._

 _"OH THANK GOD!" Rick called out in relief, holding the side of his head._

 _"WHERE ARE YOU? Where's Carl, Where have you been...Rick?"_

 _Rick held the side of his head laughing out in relief. He used the back of his hand to wipe his nose and then his tears._

 _"Carl's fine. We're in the White House...We're in the White House!...It's over baby...Washington is ours."_

 _"What?" She asked him again._

 _"I'm coming home..."_

 _He heard her sob in relief and happiness._

 _"You're coming home..."She kept saying_

 _"I'm coming home..." he shouted in joy. "How long...how long has it been?"_

 _"It's been 4 years, 8 moths and 23 days."_

 _"Oh God...how is Daryl, Judy, Andrea...how are they...?"_

 _"They are beautiful...The grew up...Daryl's 8, Andrea's 9...Judy's 11...They're in class right now."_

 _Rick covered his face in his hands, crying into them._

 _"Rick" she called out, sniffing her nose. "Rick..."_

 _"Yeah...I'm here..."_

 _"Today's your birthday... You just turned 50 "_

 _Rick took a deep breath and then smiled "I'm 50 years old.."_

 _"Happy Birthday, my love."_

...

 _He then stopped and pulled her closer to him._

 _"I LOVE YOU, BAABBY, and if it's quiet alright,_

 _I need you BAABBY, to warm the lonely night._

 _I love you, baby...trust in me when I sayyyy..._

 _Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray_

 _Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay.._

 _...and let me, LOVE-you-baby..._

 _Rick turned around and walked towards the door, as Michonne sat up in his arms, holding onto him. She kissed him on his cheek and rested her forehead against his._

 _...let me love youuuuuuu... he sang as he carried her into the bedroom._

...

 _"You could have told me." Michonne whispered to him, with a smile._

 _"And miss that smile on your face...no way." Rick answered back. "Still, he could have named it after me, you know." he added in mock jealousy._

 _She looked into his handsome face, and stared into his blue eyes. "I love you." She leaned across and kissed him._

 _"I love you, too, baby." he replied back._

 _She inserted her right arm around his left, and rested her head on his shoulder._

 _Rick kissed the top of her head and looked around at everyone. Kids were running around playing tag._ _Carl and the rest of the parents kept looking at Rick, waiting for his signal._

 _It was almost time._

 _Inside the kitchen the chef decorated a cake, with the icing of a gun and a katana. While Daryl watched him over his shoulder, pestering him with directions on how it should look. In the center of the cake he wrote "Happy 50'th Wedding Anniversary."_

 _"I have one more surprise for you..." Rick whispered, just as they brought their coffees to the table._

 _Rick looked to his side at her resting against his shoulder._ _"Michonne..."_

 _He gently shook her, "Michonne..."_

 _Her head slumped to the side, her eyes were shut, a ghost of a smile on her face._

 _"Is she asleep?" Rick turned around to look at his grand daughter standing by his side, curiously looking at her grand mother._

 _Rick stared at her wordlessly. His eyes started brimming with tears as he bit his lip._

 _He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. He replied back with a smile. "Yeah, sweetie..."_

 _Rick turned look at Michonne's motionless body_ _"She's...she's just sleeping."_

...

Tears of joy streamed down his face, it was finally over.

Rick Grimes pulled out his Colt Python from his holster for the last time. He pointed it towards his head and pulled back the hammer. The gun was locked and ready, for it's final kill.

He looked towards her headstone again, at her name. His left hand extended out, brushing over it.

 _"I love you, Michonne. I see it now...We were and always are meant to be. And no matter what happens next, I know we'll see each other again."_

He pulled the trigger and his dead body fell to the ground, right in front of her grave.

 **27 years later**

"They say that their love for each other was so strong and so pure, that even death couldn't keep them apart."

"That's pushing it, they were human beings right?"

"How else would you explain Michonne coming back from the dead. As we all know the great battle of Alexandria had led to several deaths of prominent figures in history. Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Sasha Williams..Michonne Grimes was one of them. You've read about it haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. And no where is it mentioned that Michonne came back from dead because of LOVE!"

"FINE! But you did read about the part where Rick carried her body in his arms and ran for 50 MILES-"

"-5 Miles...they were in the woods"

"Right, 5 miles back to Alexandria. As he ran through the gates, he cried like a mad men for Dr. Christina Stevens, swearing he could bring Michonne back."

"But Michonne wasn't dead. They thought she was. They took her inside the hospital wing, and at 6:00 AM Michonne gained consciousness. Dr. Christina saved her life."

"Check your facts, no where in the history books is it written that Michonne was thought to be dead-"

"-Rick SAID she was dead and that he could bring her back. And then they took her inside the hospital wing."

"And then they walked out, together! I think Rick Grimes was capable of determining if someone was dead or not! "

"YOU CAN'T BRING SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD! RICK GRIMES WAS THE EXCEPTION, BECAUSE OF HIS DNA. He claimed she was dead, maybe he made a mistake. it's obvious isn't it, Dr. Stevens worked on her and saved her life."

"NO! RICK KISSED HER AND THEN SHE WOKE UP."

"HA HA...You mean like SLEEPING BEAUTY. That was a fairy tale, and in it sleeping beauty wasn't dead. She fell into a 'death-like-sleep'.

"I'm telling you it was their love for each other. Why can't you be more romantic?"

"Why can't you be less dorky..."

"SHUT UP! AND SCREW YOU."

"Alright...alright, it was their love."

"Theirs was the greatest love story ever...better than ROMEO AND JULIET!"

"OKAY!..better than ROMEO AND JULIET... You know they died for each other, right?"

"Well, Rick and Michonne's story was not fiction. And they LIVED for each other, had two more kids and SAVED the WORLD. Far more noble and meaningful. Michonne died (again) at the ripe old age of 88, holding on to him. And Rick... he shot himself in the head at the age of 201. They found him in front of her grave. Even then, after all those years, in their final moments, they still wanted to be with each other. Now that was TRUE LOVE."

Rick Grimes sat listening to the couple, at their playful banter. But he didn't know they were his old friends. He didn't know that it was Daryl and Carol. In fact, he didn't even know that he was Rick Grimes.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Here it is the final twist. Everything I have been building towards. This concludes the third and final act of this story. We're moving into the epilogue next. It will be a long one, 3-4 chapter epilogue. As for this, if you haven't figured it out, it's okay. That's kind of the purpose of a cliff hanger, and I haven't done one since Michonne came back to life way back in Chapter 25.**_

 _ **As always, there have been clues and hints strewn throughout various chapters. But they have been very subtle. If you figure it out, cool. If you don't it's okay, the epilogue will clear things up. Until then cheers and have a good weekend.**_


	35. Richonne, 13

**_Hello people. First of a big thank you to you all for staying with me. I know reading it hasn't been easy. We have had some shocking moments, crazy one's too, but this chapter is going to be a game changer. Things are about to get really really crazy. It's a long long one. Here's the first part of the epilogue, chapter 34: Richonne, 13 (you'll need to sit down for this one). Thank you Firefly-class, Supermichonnethequeen, guests, Shunnie is fine, Richonne slag, Lavendar 73 for your reviews._**

* * *

 _Michonne Grimes_

Rick stood alone in Alexandria, staring at the name on the circular frame of the silver colored pedestal. He looked all around him, at the graves of his friends. Since Michonne's death, Rick had left the city and had moved to Alexandria.

His children often visited, asking him to come stay with them. But he politely declined and told them to go on with their lives. "I want to stay here, it feels like she's close by...like I'm not alone."

He stayed inside Alexandria, by himself. He kept the gates locked and only opened them for his children and children of all his friends.

That morning, he received a phone call from Christina, asking to see him.

The next day, Rick got into his car and drove to Washington.

"Christina-?"

Christina stopped writing and looked up at her visitor, standing at the foot of her bed, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Rick!" She smiled at him, trying to sit up. Rick moved to her side and helped her up against the headboard.

"What're you writing?"

"...About how we saved the world..."

"Oh.." Rick nodded, laughing to himself. "And...how does it end?"

"Well, your kids got married and you and Michonne go up to the balcony and you sit down on a couch, hold hands, and say I love you. Then you two look over the entire city, looking at everything you had achieved together. We all lived happily ever after."

"That sounds..." Rick sighed. "That's a good ending."

Christina shrugged at him. "Everyone knows what happened next. But as far as my book goes, we all get a happy ending...and that's how the story ends."

Rick smiled at her in sadness. She was right, everyone knows what happened next.

"I got an aneurysm in my brain. 87 years and I found out yesterday. It won't be long now...being old sucks!"

Rick laughed at the comment of his friend.

They sat talking for a long time, about the past and the future.

"It's been a year since...since Michonne died. You saw me leave that night, you knew I was going to end it. But you stopped me...you asked me to wait."

"I..yes, I did."

"I asked you why, and you said 'I can't tell you now because I'm not sure, but I need you to trust me.' And I did that too."

Christina, shifted in her bed uncomfortably, as Rick pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed.

"I'm tired Christina. I just...ever since I woke up in that hospital, I've been telling myself to keep going, for the sake of my family. And then Michonne walked into my life, and I've been moving forward with her. And now she's gone. We've accomplished everything that we set out do. There's no longer a reason for me to go on."

Christina licked her lips nervously, as she stared into the 94 year old face of Rick Grimes. She knew he was never going to die, unless he decided to end it.

"I'm sorry, Rick. I know this has been hard. I was hoping that I would have more time, that I could be sure before I told you anything."

"About what...?"

She sat silently for a while, knowing that he would go through with it, no matter how long it took, no matter how much he had to suffer. And he would have to do it all, alone.

"I think...I think I've found a way to bring them all back!"

Rick Grimes sat back in his chair, staring at her. There was a pregnant pause between them; it didn't matter he was 94 or that they had been friends for over 50 years or that they had all saved the world together. Rick Grimes could still be scary.

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" He growled at her.

"What you told me that night, after the wolves attacked. What you thought you could do. You can bring them all back."

Rick blinked at her, barely able to contain himself.

He got up from us his chair and walked towards the window. Placing his hands on either sides he looked through the window, trying to calm himself.

Rick turned around and angrily walked towards the door.

"You'll be able to see here again!"

Rick came to an abrupt halt, as he stood with his palm on the door knob.

"not in a dream, not in your imagination, but alive..."

He turned around and looked at the old woman sitting up with her back against the headboard of her bed.

"Please hear me out?...Please" She requested.

Rick stared at her silence.

He continued to stare her down, until he decided to walk back to the chair.

"I'm an old man..." he said as he sat down. "I'm not...the man I used to be. Ever since she died...I walk around thinking- wondering when would the right time be to die."

"I know...and you stayed alive because I asked you to. And today, I asked you to come here, so that I could tell when the right time will be."

Rick leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, holding his hands together, finally ready to listen.

She sighed in disappointment.

"I didn't think of it then, because I didn't know. What you can do, it's always been uncharted territory. The walker plague, the virus, we haven't been able to recreate it or replicate it's properties. We haven't heard of anyone else being able to do what you can do."

"How can you bring them back?" Rick asked her plainly.

"I can't!" She shook her head. "I'm going die, Rick. But like you said, you have the unique ability to decide when you're going to die."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd do anything for her, right. For another minute with her, a whole day? How about a lifetime?"

"We did have a lifetime together..."

"No...you had moments together. You and her had battles to fight, enemies and despair to overcome and then you had to look after the world and your children. Between all of that, you found moments..you made time for each other. That's how it was for all of us - Tara, Abraham, Maggie, Glenn... Moments...that's it! We never got to live, Rick. Don't you wish you had more time with Michonne? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

Rick turned his face away from her. "We did the best we could with what we had."

"Yeah, and now the world is a safer place. Everyone get's to be happy and live normal happy lives."

"That's right! And it's because of the sacrifices we made. My children, they get to live and raise their kids in _this_ world. I don't regret that! Michonne never regretted it, none of us did. So I don't really understand what your-"

"-TIME! Rick. I regret that none of us had any time for each other. US! We - who had to make all those sacrifices, make all those hard choices - we don't get to live in the world that we built. We don't get to live normal, mundane happy lives. That's what I regret and I know you do too."

Rick's lips tightened at the end of her sentence."We had what we could have. Did we wish for more, yes! But we couldn't have it."

"50 years, Rick! All this time working on this, the vaccine, teaching kids about medicine, training them to be doctors, being one of the last surgeons in the world...I realized that we've all had just moments. Me and Tara, we never got to live, at least not the way we wanted to. And then I started to think about you and what you could do."

He turned back to look at her "And...what? What can I do? They are all dead. What I can do only applies to me, that's what you said! Or Daryl and Carol and Sasha would have lived through that night. I could have brought them back."

"No you couldn't have, cause you're right. What you can do only applies to you. Michonne coming back that night, was because you and her having sex that morning. Coincidence or fate whatever, you want to call it - It happened at the precise moment that it should have and Michonne was able to regenerate and she came back to life."

"So what's your point? What are you trying to say? If I couldn't bring them back then, how am I going to bring ALL of them back, now? They are all dead."

"I know how it sounds...Do you remember that night in Alexandria? After the wolves, you were in the infirmary after having fainted from exhaustion. Michonne brought you in, you woke up in the evening and Carl was there...

...

 _"Still, it's pretty cool. It's like he's got super powers. How crazy is that?" Carl said sitting on the edge of Rick's bed._

 _"Not really. Regeneration has been around for a long time." Christina replied._

 _Carl and Rick looked at her incredulously._

 _"Bacteria, fungi, they separate their cells and grow. Plants - you put a seed in the ground, some fertilizer and water, it grows. You cut off a leaf, it grows back after a while. Reptiles - A lizard can drop it's tail and grow it back."_

 _"That's where scientists got the idea from. Regenerative treatment methods were in conception from the 60's. The difference was that while regeneration in horticulture was pretty straight forward. Regeneration in mammals - like humans and animals needed a host. Like a sperm and an egg, the host being the mother's body. It was called therapeutic cloning._

 _"If someone needed a heart transplant, or a liver transplant, someone else needed to donate one. However, there was still the risk of the recipient rejecting the donor's organ. Therapeutic cloning would have allowed the person to gown another organ - from his/her own DNA, thereby minimizing the risk of the recipient rejecting the organ, to less than zero."_

 _"This was all theory of course."_

 _"How come it didn't take off?" Carl asked._

 _Christina pointed at Rick "Evidently it did. Of course what your Dad can do is way more advanced than anyone could ever think of. But to answer your question, people opposed it as blasphemy. Humans playing God! Then there were ethical issues, moral and legal issues." Christina sighed in disappointment_

 _"My point is the idea has been around for a long time. Owing to the controversy around it, whoever did this they probably did it in secret. They were trying to save lives. If this had been done in a controlled environment, monitored and regulated by a governing authority, then maybe, they could have exercised more control over it and prevented it from spreading."_

 _Rick argued back "Or maybe they should have done nothing in the first place. This whole mess, everyone we have lost, it's all because of someone's desire to play God. Saving lives or not, why couldn't the world be the way it was."_

 _Christina remained silent, thinking._

 _Rick saw the disapproving look on Carl's face. He sighed and then looked towards her."Christina, why don't you go home? Tara's probably waiting for you."_

 _Carl cleared his throat and widened his eyes at Rick, and then nodded his head towards her._

 _"And.. thank you. I appreciate everything you did here today. For me, for Michonne, for helping us understand the virus. For everything."_

 _She grimaced back at him. "I'm sorry about Michonne. I didn't know that she could come back."_

 _"But you figured it out...I get it."_

 _"Doctors have always tried to save lives. It's kind of our purpose in life. Anything else that happens is unintentional."_

 _"I know. And you're going to do a whole lot more than just save lives. Starting tomorrow, I want you give everyone here, my blood. This way they can be immune to any kind of walkers bites. And then, like you said, you can start work on a vaccine. We'll get you all the supplies you need."_

 _Christina smiled at him. "Thank you, for trusting me."_

 _..._

Rick was brought back from his memories and stared at her in confusion.

Christina continued to speak. "It didn't hit me then. But over the years, I have had time to think about it."

"Think about what?" Rick asked again.

"Reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning was the ability to regenerate tissue, or a limb. Which is what you can do. But _you_ don't need a separate host. Which was the challenge that prevented doctors and scientists from moving forward with it. You're body can do it on it's own."

"The next phase to that was reproductive cloning, growing an entire human being. These are factual data. But there were challenges."

"What kind of challenges?" Rick asked, glaring at her.

"Mammals are made of a much more complex DNA sequences. However in 1997, 'Dolly the sheep' was the first mammal to have been created. And like I said mammals need a host. So the embryo was inserted into a female sheep, to grow. After 443 attempts, Dolly was born. And died after 6 years.

"434?"

Yeah, that was perhaps the nail on the coffin. You couldn't just do that to 434 human beings. But they did try it, in 1998, a human cell was taken. However, since we couldn't risk human life, it was injected into a cow's egg."

"What?" Rick asked in disgust replied.

"They succeeded in creating a hybrid human embryo. But it was asked to be destroyed." She shrugged. "Human regeneration, or reproductive cloning, is always going to need a host. Doctors have always been interested in saving lives, Rick. And whatever they did, it backfired. And that's how the walker apocalypse happened. At first, we thought it was something supernatural. Dead people rising up, and feeding on the living. We had no chance of surviving it, We didn't even know what it was, until you died."

"We needed something equally supernatural to beat it. And you were it and then I was able to figure it out, what it was."

"Over the last 50 years I have been..." Christina stopped to close her eyes, trying to suppress her emotions.

"The science, the experiments, the theories...they've always been there. Figuring out the 'how', that's the challenge."

"So have you figured it out?"

"Yeah...Human cloning or reproductive cloning can only be achieved with a female and male sperm. So whether it's artificial insemination, surrogacy, every form of human conception you can think of requires an egg and a sperm. And then, like I said, we need a host to ensure the union of the egg and the sperm - a fetus - grows into a full human being."

"Christina...I'm lost! I thought you were talking about bringing 'them' back."

"I'm getting to it. I'm just explaining what can't be done. The whole point of this is to bring 'them' back, and the only way to do that is through you."

"How? You injected my blood into their bodies but we couldn't bring them back nothing happened."

"That's because they were dead."

"And it didn't work! That's what you said."

"But I kept their blood...stored it away in the only freezer we had, in the infirmary. Daryl, Carol's, Sasha,..I took them that night, trying to see if we could bring them back. Tested them with yours. Over the years, I tired to see if anything could be done."

"And?"

"Nothing. But, that's where you come in, or more specifically what your body can do. I have everyone else's blood. Every time you got sick, every time I needed to run a test. I have it, Tara's, mine, Maggie's, yours, Glenn's, Abrahams', Morgan's, Eugene's, ...Michonne's... I have their blood...which means I have their DNA - everything a person is, everything a person can be - the way the look, - everything is in there."

"Okay, but how do we...?"

"I know, it's only one half of the puzzle..." Christina stopped talking and closed her eyes, visibly tired. She held the side of her head.

"Are you okay?"

She smiled "Fine. As I was saying it's only one half of the puzzle. Now how do we bring them back? That's a question I've wrestled with for many years. When Tara got liver cancer, you volunteered to give yours to her. Of course, her body would have rejected it. She had a different blood group. She wanted to go out on her own terms. That night, after I injected her with those drugs, I lied down next to her, crying into the night...But that's when I started thinking about it. You can regenerate - skin, bones, blood, muscles, tissues organs, as long as you brain is intact. It's part of your DNA, but it only applies to your body."

"As years rolled by, as each of our loved ones died, I started wondering if there was anything you could do to held us. A few months ago, I had an idea - your body acts as a lifeline, I tether the blood of the rest of us to yours. And then, you kill yourself - shoot, stab... Your body begins the restoration process, as it always does. But we - we manipulate your body into thinking that all those blood lines, connected to you are a part of you as well. You body fixes you, and in turn-

"- it regenerates the others." Rick finished, his eyes simmered in shock and wonderment.

"Exactly..we have their DNA, we can grow the rest. Cells, tissues, muscles, skin, bones, it will form around the blood..." Christina smiled.

Rick inhaled and exhaled deeply, as the memories of Michonne rushed through his mind.

"How do we do it? How do we manipulate my body?"

"That's the tricky part."

"What do you need?" Rick asked suddenly.

"Wait, it's not that simple. You need to understand fully before you make a decision."

"What decision? If it can bring them all back-"

"-It's all theory, Rick. I have no way of knowing for sure. That's why I didn't tell you or anyone else earlier. That night, I told you Michonne was dead, based on my assumption and understanding I arrived at a deduction. I didn't know that she could come back, until she did. I assumed to know all the possibilities of what you could do-."

"But you think this can work? TELL ME! DO YOU THINK THIS CAN WORK? Michonne - can she come back? Daryl and Carol, Glenn and Maggie can they all come back..."

Christina saw his tired old eyes resonate with hopefulness.

"Yes. I think it can work, but there's more."

"Tell me." Rick said resolutely.

"Phase 1: The world can't know about this. Now the world knows what you can do. But we also have an advantage - except for 'us' no one else knows about how Michonne came back to life. Everyone thinks it was my surgical skills. Of course, I spread the rumors that it was the 'kiss'. Back then, my intention was to protect Michonne and you and your family. People are always going to want to bring people back from the dead. But the world can't work like that. They can handle one Rick Grimes, but anything more and then we're going to have another problem on our hands. Immortality is going to be another reason to start another apocalypse. It's like you said the walker plague - _This whole mess, everyone we have lost, it's all because of someone's desire to play God. Saving lives or not, why couldn't the world be the way it was.'"_

"So we're not going to tell anything to anyone. And with the story that's out there, we have created both fact and myth as far as Michonne's resurrection is concerned. It's a misdirect, but an effective one. So to this day, no one knows what happened. Which means the world knows what you can do, but it becomes a 'fact' that you can't bring people back from the dead, and if anyone argues other wise people would dismiss as a 'myth'.

"Carl knows." Rick said. "But he won't tell anyone."

"Okay. But you should talk to him."

"I will."

"Phase 2:Time. This plan involves very very advanced bio-engineering. We have to make your body think that it's fixing itself, and at the same time work on regenerating others. What I'm trying to say is, it's never been done before, because some of the things that're required hasn't been invented yet. Technologically speaking, we're in the 1920's. Given that, we're still rebuilding, we don't have a lot of resources. More than that, we don't have enough people. The world's population is barely at half million. . The world is being repopulated as we speak. As people grow larger in number more and more resources will be acquired and more will be invented."

"In addition, everything I've thought of, every idea, every theory, I made explicit and very detailed notes on them. A month ago, I selected 4 of the most trustworthy, best and brightest doctors that work under me."

"After I'm gone, they are going to carry on my research. You're going to have to meet them tomorrow. Get acquainted. They've sworn to me to keep this a secret. But I think the name Rick Grimes carries more weight than Christina Stevens. Working for 'you' will keep them motivated. My notes are going to help them in creating some of the resources, but a great amount of ingenuity is going to be required from their part as well. In the event they are not successful or they've run out of time, they will select another group of people just like I selected them. And then those people are going to carry on my work, until they succeed or hand it off to the next generation."

Rick rubbed his head, clearly feeling overwhelmed.

"Phase 3: Your body. If they succeed, then you will become a guinea pig for them to run their tests on. Your body will be hooked onto machines, connected to chambers, each that will contain a tiny portion of our blood. Chambers that will resemble the interior of a mother's womb?"

"A womb?" Rick asked confused.

"Yes. We're not going to grow into full sized versions of ourselves. You will have to die to regenerate, and while you do that, the rest of us will form cells and tissues, bones, skin, organs, until we are fully grown babies."

"What?" Rick asked in shock.

"That's the way it works. Which means, everyday they will kill you. Obviously, they will want to make it quick. You can decide which way to go. But you're going to suffer every day, pain, mental fatigue - I know you're tough. We're all here because of the things you've done. But this is going to be unlike anything you've ever faced. You, Michonne, me, Tara, Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, Rosita, Morgan, Daryl, Carol, Sasha, Eugene. That's thirteen bodies. So far, regeneration had been limited to your body. 13 can be too much, it might affect you in ways I can't even begin to assume. You might start aging faster, your body might get tired, the regeneration could reach it's limit. There are risks, and a hundred other things that could go wrong."

"There's also the fact that regenerating 13 different bodies, could take a long time. It can't be completed in one go. So far what had happened is you die, you regenerate and then come back to life. But that doesn't' mean, 13 bodies are going to regenerate, by the time you come back. You're going to have die and come back, repeatedly, until all 13 babies are fully formed."

Rick lowered his head and looked towards the floor. "What else?"

"Phase 4: Things that you have to do. When we come back, we're going to be babies. But it could be years, decades, maybe half a century before they finish my work. Which means you have to stay alive, until it's done. Nothing can prepare you for it, the loneliness, the wait... "

Rick looked back at her in resolute silence.

"If or when we come back, we will look like ourselves. If we're going to keep this a secret then the world can't know about us in anyway."

Rick shook his head. "But there are photos of us in the White House, in school text books-"

"Photos of us in our mid and late 50's" Christina asked quietly.

"Okay, but they are our pictures-

"Have you been to Vegas? before the apocalypse?"

"Yes"

"Did you see Elvis? Abraham Lincoln? Did you ever think of them as the real versions of themselves?"

"No."

"Cause your brain wouldn't accept it, 'cause you knew they were dead. So how could they be alive? You would look at them smile, wonder and then dismiss them as being 'look a like's'. But if there are pictures of us...if people saw what we looked like when we were young. Then they could map our growth, compare it and see as we age. We can't do anything about the pictures in the White House. But you can do something about the pictures of us when we were younger."

"Michonne and I, went to our parents's house. We have our pictures from when we were younger."

"That's good. You're going to have to destroy all of them, and find all the pictures of everyone we plan to bring back."

"I'll take care of it." Rick said making a mental note to himself.

"There will be a considerable amount of time that will have passed from the time of our death, between the time we come back. Enough for people to forget us, only to consider us a people who saved the world. That's what I'm counting on." Christina. "The whole point of this is for us to lead normal lives, and we can't do that if the world finds out about us-

"Wait." Rick interrupted. "If I come back, I will still have in me right? My DNA, what it can do. So I'll be the way I am, right? How can I lead a normal life with that?"

Christina shook her head. "The walker virus infected people _who were alive._ It didn't bring back people who were already dead, before that. People who had died years ago, did not rise up from their graves. It was the same with you. When you were in the hospital, you were infected when you were alive. But then you fell into a coma and died. It started working after you died, and then you were brought back to life. Of course with the rest of the population people who died, came back as walkers."

"So when I come back-

"You're DNA will be the same, but you won't be able to regenerate. That part of it will remain dormant. Right now, it works in you because of the way it was activated. But when you kill yourself, when you destroy your brain, it will no longer be able to work. The walker virus will die with you."

"I still don't understand. I'll still have in me right." Rick asked anxiously.

Christina sighed. "Let me try to explain it from a different angle. You needed to be alive to be infected. So that's what happened to you and everyone one else. However, in your case it was the perfect match. For everyone else, it turned them into walkers. Your first wife, Lori...she gave birth to Judith, thereby transferring the infection to her as well. Hence she had it. But then we found you could do. So I developed a vaccine and we gave it to everyone, rendering the infection inactive. So when Michonne gave birth to Andrea and Daryl, she passed it along, but it was already inactive in her system, so Andrea and Daryl were not affected. Now in your case, when you come back as a baby, you will carry it but it will inactive. Trust me, you will be able to lead a normal life. If you die, you'll stay dead." She added with a smile.

Rick nodded, but there was something else bothering him. "How do we...grow? If we come back us babies?"

"Tara's orphanage. The doctors will check us, make sure there is nothing wrong with us medically. And then they will take us to the orphanage and we will grow up."

"But we will all be together."

"That's the plan." Christina

Rick rubbed his chin deep in thought.

"Rick...don't you want this?"

"I've been cheating death all my life, and now here I am panning my death, so I can cheat it again."

" You're doing it for the right reasons." She assured him.

"No...I'm doing it for selfish reasons. I want to be with Michonne. You're right...I always wished that we could have more. I always regretted that we lost all those years we could have had together, when we first met."

Rubbing his hands over his face, Rick lowered his hand. "We didn't want any of this. We just wanted to live together, raise a family...but things just kept happening. I just want to live in a world with her, where we don't have to worry about 100 other always said, that we just had to do things that we were supposed to do and then we get to live. We didn't get to live...after everything we had to do... we didn't get to... I just want..."

"What is it.." Christina asked.

"I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing...I wish she was here. She would have known...she always knew..Ever since she died, I kept thinking...about an after life. That maybe she's there and I can join her when I die. And now, I have something else to do...and I have to stay alive for God knows how long." he sighed in anger, at the end of which Rick held his head in his hand, silently crying into it.

Christina reached out and touched his shoulder "I know it's hard...but you have to stay alive. The world is still not quite there yet. It's going to take a long time, until we get back to how we were in 2010."

Rick raised his head and looked at her in sadness and hope. He nodded and said "You really think it's going to work."

"I...I have faith in you." She replied back confidently. She turned to her bedside cabinet, and retrieved a satchel bag. "This contains all my notes, binders of information and also the names of the doctors I have chosen. They will help you."

Rick took the bag and pulled it's strap over his shoulder.

She extended her arms out and Rick hugged her warmly. He got back up from his chair and then walked towards the door. As he was about to leave, Rick stopped.

Christina watched nervously, as his stood motionless. He placed both his hands on his hips and then turned back around to look at her.

"You manipulative, bitch!" He said, as he shook his head.

Christina held her breath as Rick walked towards her. "We'r not going to remember anything."

She gulped nervously as she continued to stare up at him.

"Edwin Jenner, he showed me the human brain, what goes on inside before and after you turn into a walker. He told me, everything that makes a person who he or she is, our memories, all of it, is in there. The brain carries all that information, not the DNA."

"We are going to come back as babies, which means along with regenerating a new body, it's going to be a new brain too, right?" He asked her. "LOOK AT ME!"

"Yes..." She finally raised her head, her eyes brimming in tears. "We're not going to remember any of this. None of us are. We're not going remember anything from this life."

"This wasn't about giving others a chance, this was about you - you want another chance at life. You didn't start thinking about this after Tara died, you started thinking about since that night. Since Michonne came back. You didn't think she would, but after she did, you started considering other possibilities. You were the one who said not to tell anyone else. But I insisted that we tell those who were closest to us."

"So you waited, waited until they were all dead. You waited until Michonne was dead, to tell me."

Christina sniffed her nose. "I'm sorry. I..I just thought that...the rest of us wouldn't be important enough as Michonne-

-SHUT UP! Rick fumed at her. "You knew the only way I'd go through with this plan of yours is if I could bring everyone back."

"It doesn't change anything, Rick. If you go through with it, you sill can bring everyone back. We'll all grow up together in the orphanage, and maybe we can-"

"THEY HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW! They had a right to decide for themselves, about their future, about coming back."

"It doesn't matter! You can decide that now, for them. My plan can still work. Rick, please you can bring them back. You're right. I am a manipulative bitch. I've always been one, but I never meant any harm. It's just the way I am. I have hurt a lot of people because of it. Everyone had a special skill set to survive the apocalypse. This...was one of mine. I'm a survivor just like everybody else. And I..I want a second chance Rick, to be better. To be someone else."

"The rest of you...Tara..all of you were so brave and honorable. I was worried that if I told you earlier, what if all of you decided that you didn't want to go through with it. I couldn't take that risk. So yes, I waited...I waited until all of them were dead. I waited until Michonne was dead. Alone, you'd want to bring them all back. No matter how long it took, no matter how much you had to suffer you'd go through with it, if all you could be together again. But then I was worried what if you decided against it, if we wouldn't remember anything from this lifetime. I couldn't risk it, Rick."

Rick nodded, mockingly, his face masked in anger.

Christina pleaded "Please don't decide against it, just because I-"

"- Oh I'm going to bring them back. I am going go through with your plan." Rick interrupted her.

He pointed at the bag. "I have all the information, I know the plan and I know the doctors I need to see. It's like you said, my name carries a lot more weight than yours. So I am going through with it. I am going to decide for all of them and I am going to bring everyone back...everyone except you!"

"RICK-"

He leaned in and tilted his head to the side "-I GET TO DECIDE - that's the what you said right. So I am deciding your faith. See that's what you did to all of them. They all died not knowing. You're going to die, knowing that there is no 'after'.

"No, please you can't - this was my plan...I'm sorry I just want another chance...Rick..Rick please..."

Rick pulled the bag over his shoulder again and walked towards the door. He slammed it behind as he left.

...

3 months later, on her death bed, Christina requested to see Rick. He denied her request, and Christina passed away not knowing if Rick would ever reconsider.

 _Christina Stevens_ , he engaved into the circular frame of the silver colored pedestal

"What do you think?" He asked Carl, as he finished.

"I hate what she did, but I know you. You're going to forgive her. You're going to give her a chance."

Rick turned back around to look at his 67 year old son.

"It's who you are Dad, and she was a friend. I know deep down inside that if you could, you'd bring back Shane."

Rick turned his face away and looked at names that had been engraved into the circular frame. "What about you? Do you want to..come back?"

Carl shrugged. "Nah, I lived my life. We all did. But our parents - all those names - they didn't. They had to do terrible things, make sacrifices-

"-So did you" Rick retorted.

"But I had you, mom, Michonne. I had all of you. And now, I'm the president and I'm going to be a grandfather. I'm happy, Dad. We all are."

Carl walked towards his father and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You don't have to save us anymore...we all made it. Now just save yourselves. It's the right thing to do. All of you have another chance at life. Take it, be happy. "

"But we won't remember anything."

"Dad, you have to ask yourself if you're doing this to be with Michonne or are you doing this so that everyone can get to live again?"

Rick lowered his head, and shuffled his feet.

"I know you'll figure it out." Carl assured his father.

Rick hugged his son tightly and held him close. Carl closed his eyes as he stood in father's warm embrace.

"You've stayed alive so long to keep me and Judith safe, so that we could live. Now it's time to stay alive for yourself. Which means...you will have to watch us die and you will have to bury us..."

He felt his father's fingers tighten around his body, and his tears stream down into his shirt. Carl clutched his father tightly, and bit into his lips as he tried to restrain his tears.

"I know as a parent that's going to be hardest thing you'll have to do. But no matter where you end up and how your next life turns out to be, no matter what you won't be able to remember, I will always be your son, Judith will always be your daughter and you will always be our Dad...I love you."

"You and Michonne had a life here, together. You loved her and she loved together you had Andrea and Daryl. The six of us were a family, and you were our parents. Nothing will ever change that."

Their broke their embrace and wiped their tears away. "You could all grow up together, in the orphanage. Maybe you'll all be friends, maybe you and Michonne can have something - like it's the first time."

Rick nodded, with a smile on his face. "Maybe we can all be a family again."

 **107 years later**

The world had changed around him. Cities and people grew, and things got back to the way it used to be, like in 2010 before the apocalypse. There was hardly any crime and the world was at peace.

They had built monuments and statues in honor of all the survivors. Streets and buildings were named after them. In schools, history classes had a text books on Rick Grimes and his family. Stories of their survival in the apocalypse era was retold, discussed and debated. Of course, one of the famous debates was if Michonne had died during the attack of the wolves.

Rick Grimes was 201, and still alive. He had lost count on the number of times he had died during the last century. His body healed, but his extreme age kept affecting his health. As he kept dying each time, the regeneration process became faster. What used to take hours, now only took minutes.

He still lived in Alexandria and watched as the world grew around him. He kept the gates locked as he had become an object to be stared at. People traveled from all around the world and waited outside the gates to get a glimpse of him.

He had watched his children and his grandchildren die and buried each of them. He had great-great grandchildren who would sometimes come and see him. But they weren't close. To them he was a fascination, a myth, just like the rest of the world

It had taken 80 years and two generation of doctors until they were finally ready to carry out Christina's plan. During this time Rick Grimes, kept to himself, spending most of the days farming and looking after Alexandria. It was a lonely and painful life, most which he spend living through his memories. In between he ventured out to the earlier homes everyone that was going to come back, collecting their old photographs and video tapes. Once he was back, he would look at the pictures and watch the tapes, and then destroy them.

Once the doctors informed him that they were ready Rick Grimes went to them for the moment he had been staying alive for. He hoped that it would end quickly. But it took the next 27 years of repeated suicides, in order to regenerate the others. The constant cycle put too much strain on his body. To keep things quiet, a lab was built 5 miles away from Alexandria, allowing Rick to travel to and fro, quickly and quietly. He felt weak at the end of each day, it hurt all over his body. There were times when he lost his motor skills; he would break out into sweats and _Michonne Grimes_

Rick stood alone in Alexandria, staring at the name on the circular frame of the silver colored pedestal. He looked all around him, at the graves of his friends. Since Michonne's death, Rick had left the city and had moved to Alexandria.

His children often visited, asking him to come stay with them. But he politely declined and told them to go on with their lives. "I want to stay here, it feels like she's close by...like I'm not alone."

He stayed inside Alexandria, by himself. He kept the gates locked and only opened them for his children and children of all his friends.

That morning, he received a phone call from Christina, asking to see him.

The next day, Rick got into his car and drove to Washington.

"Christina-?"

Christina stopped writing and looked up at her visitor, standing at the foot of her bed, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Rick!" She smiled at him, trying to sit up. Rick moved to her side and helped her up against the headboard.

"What're you writing?"

"...About how we saved the world..."

"Oh.." Rick nodded, laughing to himself. "And...how does it end?"

"Well, your kids got married and you and Michonne go up to the balcony and you sit down on a couch, hold hands, and say I love you. Then you two look over the entire city, looking at everything you had achieved together. We all lived happily ever after."

"That sounds..." Rick sighed. "That's a good ending."

Christina shrugged at him. "Everyone knows what happened next. But as far as my book goes, we all get a happy ending...and that's how the story ends."

Rick smiled at her in sadness. She was right, everyone knows what happened next.

"I got an aneurysm in my brain. 87 years and I found out yesterday. It won't be long now...being old sucks!"

Rick laughed at the comment of his friend.

They sat talking for a long time, about the past and the future.

"It's been a year since...since Michonne died. You saw me leave that night, you knew I was going to end it. But you stopped me...you asked me to wait."

"I..yes, I did."

"I asked you why, and you said 'I can't tell you now because I'm not sure, but I need you to trust me.' And I did that too."

Christina, shifted in her bed uncomfortably, as Rick pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed.

"I'm tired Christina. I just...ever since I woke up in that hospital, I've been telling myself to keep going, for the sake of my family. And then Michonne walked into my life, and I've been moving forward with her. And now she's gone. We've accomplished everything that we set out do. There's no longer a reason for me to go on."

Christina licked her lips nervously, as she stared into the 94 year old face of Rick Grimes. She knew he was never going to die, unless he decided to end it.

"I'm sorry, Rick. I know this has been hard. I was hoping that I would have more time, that I could be sure before I told you anything."

"About what...?"

She sat silently for a while, knowing that he would go through with it, no matter how long it took, no matter how much he had to suffer. And he would have to do it all, alone.

"I think...I think I've found a way to bring them all back!"

Rick Grimes sat back in his chair, staring at her. There was a pregnant pause between them; it didn't matter he was 94 or that they had been friends for over 50 years or that they had all saved the world together. Rick Grimes could still be scary.

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" He growled at her.

"What you told me that night, after the wolves attacked. What you thought you could do. You can bring them all back."

Rick blinked at her, barely able to contain himself.

He got up from us his chair and walked towards the window. Placing his hands on either sides he looked through the window, trying to calm himself.

Rick turned around and angrily walked towards the door.

"You'll be able to see here again!"

Rick came to an abrupt halt, as he stood with his palm on the door knob.

"not in a dream, not in your imagination, but alive..."

He turned around and looked at the old woman sitting up with her back against the headboard of her bed.

"Please hear me out?...Please" She requested.

Rick stared at her silence.

He continued to stare her down, until he decided to walk back to the chair.

"I'm an old man..." he said as he sat down. "I'm not...the man I used to be. Ever since she died...I walk around thinking- wondering when would the right time be to die."

"I know...and you stayed alive because I asked you to. And today, I asked you to come here, so that I could tell when the right time will be."

Rick leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, holding his hands together, finally ready to listen.

She sighed in disappointment.

"I didn't think of it then, because I didn't know. What you can do, it's always been uncharted territory. The walker plague, the virus, we haven't been able to recreate it or replicate it's properties. We haven't heard of anyone else being able to do what you can do."

"How can you bring them back?" Rick asked her plainly.

"I can't!" She shook her head. "I'm going die, Rick. But like you said, you have the unique ability to decide when you're going to die."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd do anything for her, right. For another minute with her, a whole day? How about a lifetime?"

"We did have a lifetime together..."

"No...you had moments together. You and her had battles to fight, enemies and despair to overcome and then you had to look after the world and your children. Between all of that, you found moments..you made time for each other. That's how it was for all of us - Tara, Abraham, Maggie, Glenn... Moments...that's it! We never got to live, Rick. Don't you wish you had more time with Michonne? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

Rick turned his face away from her. "We did the best we could with what we had."

"Yeah, and now the world is a safer place. Everyone get's to be happy and live normal happy lives."

"That's right! And it's because of the sacrifices we made. My children, they get to live and raise their kids in _this_ world. I don't regret that! Michonne never regretted it, none of us did. So I don't really understand what your-"

"-TIME! Rick. I regret that none of us had any time for each other. US! We - who had to make all those sacrifices, make all those hard choices - we don't get to live in the world that we built. We don't get to live normal, mundane happy lives. That's what I regret and I know you do too."

Rick's lips tightened at the end of her sentence."We had what we could have. Did we wish for more, yes! But we couldn't have it."

"50 years, Rick! All this time working on this, the vaccine, teaching kids about medicine, training them to be doctors, being one of the last surgeons in the world...I realized that we've all had just moments. Me and Tara, we never got to live, at least not the way we wanted to. And then I started to think about you and what you could do."

He turned back to look at her "And...what? What can I do? They are all dead. What I can do only applies to me, that's what you said! Or Daryl and Carol and Sasha would have lived through that night. I could have brought them back."

"No you couldn't have, cause you're right. What you can do only applies to you. Michonne coming back that night, was because you and her having sex that morning. Coincidence or fate whatever, you want to call it - It happened at the precise moment that it should have and Michonne was able to regenerate and she came back to life."

"So what's your point? What are you trying to say? If I couldn't bring them back then, how am I going to bring ALL of them back, now? They are all dead."

"I know how it sounds...Do you remember that night in Alexandria? After the wolves, you were in the infirmary after having fainted from exhaustion. Michonne brought you in, you woke up in the evening and Carl was there...

...

 _"Still, it's pretty cool. It's like he's got super powers. How crazy is that?" Carl said sitting on the edge of Rick's bed._

 _"Not really. Regeneration has been around for a long time." Christina replied._

 _Carl and Rick looked at her incredulously._

 _"Bacteria, fungi, they separate their cells and grow. Plants - you put a seed in the ground, some fertilizer and water, it grows. You cut off a leaf, it grows back after a while. Reptiles - A lizard can drop it's tail and grow it back."_

 _"That's where scientists got the idea from. Regenerative treatment methods were in conception from the 60's. The difference was that while regeneration in horticulture was pretty straight forward. Regeneration in mammals - like humans and animals needed a host. Like a sperm and an egg, the host being the mother's body. It was called therapeutic cloning._

 _"If someone needed a heart transplant, or a liver transplant, someone else needed to donate one. However, there was still the risk of the recipient rejecting the donor's organ. Therapeutic cloning would have allowed the person to gown another organ - from his/her own DNA, thereby minimizing the risk of the recipient rejecting the organ, to less than zero."_

 _"This was all theory of course."_

 _"How come it didn't take off?" Carl asked._

 _Christina pointed at Rick "Evidently it did. Of course what your Dad can do is way more advanced than anyone could ever think of. But to answer your question, people opposed it as blasphemy. Humans playing God! Then there were ethical issues, moral and legal issues." Christina sighed in disappointment_

 _"My point is the idea has been around for a long time. Owing to the controversy around it, whoever did this they probably did it in secret. They were trying to save lives. If this had been done in a controlled environment, monitored and regulated by a governing authority, then maybe, they could have exercised more control over it and prevented it from spreading."_

 _Rick argued back "Or maybe they should have done nothing in the first place. This whole mess, everyone we have lost, it's all because of someone's desire to play God. Saving lives or not, why couldn't the world be the way it was."_

 _Christina remained silent, thinking._

 _Rick saw the disapproving look on Carl's face. He sighed and then looked towards her."Christina, why don't you go home? Tara's probably waiting for you."_

 _Carl cleared his throat and widened his eyes at Rick, and then nodded his head towards her._

 _"And.. thank you. I appreciate everything you did here today. For me, for Michonne, for helping us understand the virus. For everything."_

 _She grimaced back at him. "I'm sorry about Michonne. I didn't know that she could come back."_

 _"But you figured it out...I get it."_

 _"Doctors have always tried to save lives. It's kind of our purpose in life. Anything else that happens is unintentional."_

 _"I know. And you're going to do a whole lot more than just save lives. Starting tomorrow, I want you give everyone here, my blood. This way they can be immune to any kind of walkers bites. And then, like you said, you can start work on a vaccine. We'll get you all the supplies you need."_

 _Christina smiled at him. "Thank you, for trusting me."_

 _..._

Rick was brought back from his memories and stared at her in confusion.

Christina continued to speak. "It didn't hit me then. But over the years, I have had time to think about it."

"Think about what?" Rick asked again.

"Reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning was the ability to regenerate tissue, or a limb. Which is what you can do. But _you_ don't need a separate host. Which was the challenge that prevented doctors and scientists from moving forward with it. You're body can do it on it's own."

"The next phase to that was reproductive cloning, growing an entire human being. These are factual data. But there were challenges."

"What kind of challenges?" Rick asked, glaring at her.

"Mammals are made of a much more complex DNA sequences. However in 1997, 'Dolly the sheep' was the first mammal to have been created. And like I said mammals need a host. So the embryo was inserted into a female sheep, to grow. After 443 attempts, Dolly was born. And died after 6 years.

"434?"

Yeah, that was perhaps the nail on the coffin. You couldn't just do that to 434 human beings. But they did try it, in 1998, a human cell was taken. However, since we couldn't risk human life, it was injected into a cow's egg."

"What?" Rick asked in disgust replied.

"They succeeded in creating a hybrid human embryo. But it was asked to be destroyed." She shrugged. "Human regeneration, or reproductive cloning, is always going to need a host. Doctors have always been interested in saving lives, Rick. And whatever they did, it backfired. And that's how the walker apocalypse happened. At first, we thought it was something supernatural. Dead people rising up, and feeding on the living. We had no chance of surviving it, We didn't even know what it was, until you died."

"We needed something equally supernatural to beat it. And you were it and then I was able to figure it out, what it was."

"Over the last 50 years I have been..." Christina stopped to close her eyes, trying to suppress her emotions.

"The science, the experiments, the theories...they've always been there. Figuring out the 'how', that's the challenge."

"So have you figured it out?"

"Yeah...Human cloning or reproductive cloning can only be achieved with a female and male sperm. So whether it's artificial insemination, surrogacy, every form of human conception you can think of requires an egg and a sperm. And then, like I said, we need a host to ensure the union of the egg and the sperm - a fetus - grows into a full human being."

"Christina...I'm lost! I thought you were talking about bringing 'them' back."

"I'm getting to it. I'm just explaining what can't be done. The whole point of this is to bring 'them' back, and the only way to do that is through you."

"How? You injected my blood into their bodies but we couldn't bring them back nothing happened."

"That's because they were dead."

"And it didn't work! That's what you said."

"But I kept their blood...stored it away in the only freezer we had, in the infirmary. Daryl, Carol's, Sasha,..I took them that night, trying to see if we could bring them back. Tested them with yours. Over the years, I tired to see if anything could be done."

"And?"

"Nothing. But, that's where you come in, or more specifically what your body can do. I have everyone else's blood. Every time you got sick, every time I needed to run a test. I have it, Tara's, mine, Maggie's, yours, Glenn's, Abrahams', Morgan's, Eugene's, ...Michonne's... I have their blood...which means I have their DNA - everything a person is, everything a person can be - the way the look, - everything is in there."

"Okay, but how do we...?"

"I know, it's only one half of the puzzle..." Christina stopped talking and closed her eyes, visibly tired. She held the side of her head.

"Are you okay?"

She smiled "Fine. As I was saying it's only one half of the puzzle. Now how do we bring them back? That's a question I've wrestled with for many years. When Tara got liver cancer, you volunteered to give yours to her. Of course, her body would have rejected it. She had a different blood group. She wanted to go out on her own terms. That night, after I injected her with those drugs, I lied down next to her, crying into the night...But that's when I started thinking about it. You can regenerate - skin, bones, blood, muscles, tissues organs, as long as you brain is intact. It's part of your DNA, but it only applies to your body."

"As years rolled by, as each of our loved ones died, I started wondering if there was anything you could do to held us. A few months ago, I had an idea - your body acts as a lifeline, I tether the blood of the rest of us to yours. And then, you kill yourself - shoot, stab... Your body begins the restoration process, as it always does. But we - we manipulate your body into thinking that all those blood lines, connected to you are a part of you as well. You body fixes you, and in turn-

"- it regenerates the others." Rick finished, his eyes simmered in shock and wonderment.

"Exactly..we have their DNA, we can grow the rest. Cells, tissues, muscles, skin, bones, it will form around the blood..." Christina smiled.

Rick inhaled and exhaled deeply, as the memories of Michonne rushed through his mind.

"How do we do it? How do we manipulate my body?"

"That's the tricky part."

"What do you need?" Rick asked suddenly.

"Wait, it's not that simple. You need to understand fully before you make a decision."

"What decision? If it can bring them all back-"

"-It's all theory, Rick. I have no way of knowing for sure. That's why I didn't tell you or anyone else earlier. That night, I told you Michonne was dead, based on my assumption and understanding I arrived at a deduction. I didn't know that she could come back, until she did. I assumed to know all the possibilities of what you could do-."

"But you think this can work? TELL ME! DO YOU THINK THIS CAN WORK? Michonne - can she come back? Daryl and Carol, Glenn and Maggie can they all come back..."

Christina saw his tired old eyes resonate with hopefulness.

"Yes. I think it can work, but there's more."

"Tell me." Rick said resolutely.

"Phase 1: The world can't know about this. Now the world knows what you can do. But we also have an advantage - except for 'us' no one else knows about how Michonne came back to life. Everyone thinks it was my surgical skills. Of course, I spread the rumors that it was the 'kiss'. Back then, my intention was to protect Michonne and you and your family. People are always going to want to bring people back from the dead. But the world can't work like that. They can handle one Rick Grimes, but anything more and then we're going to have another problem on our hands. Immortality is going to be another reason to start another apocalypse. It's like you said the walker plague - _This whole mess, everyone we have lost, it's all because of someone's desire to play God. Saving lives or not, why couldn't the world be the way it was.'"_

"So we're not going to tell anything to anyone. And with the story that's out there, we have created both fact and myth as far as Michonne's resurrection is concerned. It's a misdirect, but an effective one. So to this day, no one knows what happened. Which means the world knows what you can do, but it becomes a 'fact' that you can't bring people back from the dead, and if anyone argues other wise people would dismiss as a 'myth'.

"Carl knows." Rick said. "But he won't tell anyone."

"Okay. But you should talk to him."

"I will."

"Phase 2:Time. This plan involves very very advanced bio-engineering. We have to make your body think that it's fixing itself, and at the same time work on regenerating others. What I'm trying to say is, it's never been done before, because some of the things that're required hasn't been invented yet. Technologically speaking, we're in the 1920's. Given that, we're still rebuilding, we don't have a lot of resources. More than that, we don't have enough people. The world's population is barely at half million. . The world is being repopulated as we speak. As people grow larger in number more and more resources will be acquired and more will be invented."

"In addition, everything I've thought of, every idea, every theory, I made explicit and very detailed notes on them. A month ago, I selected 4 of the most trustworthy, best and brightest doctors that work under me."

"After I'm gone, they are going to carry on my research. You're going to have to meet them tomorrow. Get acquainted. They've sworn to me to keep this a secret. But I think the name Rick Grimes carries more weight than Christina Stevens. Working for 'you' will keep them motivated. My notes are going to help them in creating some of the resources, but a great amount of ingenuity is going to be required from their part as well. In the event they are not successful or they've run out of time, they will select another group of people just like I selected them. And then those people are going to carry on my work, until they succeed or hand it off to the next generation."

Rick rubbed his head, clearly feeling overwhelmed.

"Phase 3: Your body. If they succeed, then you will become a guinea pig for them to run their tests on. Your body will be hooked onto machines, connected to chambers, each that will contain a tiny portion of our blood. Chambers that will resemble the interior of a mother's womb?"

"A womb?" Rick asked confused.

"Yes. We're not going to grow into full sized versions of ourselves. You will have to die to regenerate, and while you do that, the rest of us will form cells and tissues, bones, skin, organs, until we are fully grown babies."

"What?" Rick asked in shock.

"That's the way it works. Which means, everyday they will kill you. Obviously, they will want to make it quick. You can decide which way to go. But you're going to suffer every day, pain, mental fatigue - I know you're tough. We're all here because of the things you've done. But this is going to be unlike anything you've ever faced. You, Michonne, me, Tara, Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, Rosita, Morgan, Daryl, Carol, Sasha, Eugene. That's thirteen bodies. So far, regeneration had been limited to your body. 13 can be too much, it might affect you in ways I can't even begin to assume. You might start aging faster, your body might get tired, the regeneration could reach it's limit. There are risks, and a hundred other things that could go wrong."

"There's also the fact that regenerating 13 different bodies, could take a long time. It can't be completed in one go. So far what had happened is you die, you regenerate and then come back to life. But that doesn't' mean, 13 bodies are going to regenerate, by the time you come back. You're going to have die and come back, repeatedly, until all 13 babies are fully formed."

Rick lowered his head and looked towards the floor. "What else?"

"Phase 4: Things that you have to do. When we come back, we're going to be babies. But it could be years, decades, maybe half a century before they finish my work. Which means you have to stay alive, until it's done. Nothing can prepare you for it, the loneliness, the wait... "

Rick looked back at her in resolute silence.

"If or when we come back, we will look like ourselves. If we're going to keep this a secret then the world can't know about us in anyway."

Rick shook his head. "But there are photos of us in the White House, in school text books-"

"Photos of us in our mid and late 50's" Christina asked quietly.

"Okay, but they are our pictures-

"Have you been to Vegas? before the apocalypse?"

"Yes"

"Did you see Elvis? Abraham Lincoln? Did you ever think of them as the real versions of themselves?"

"No."

"Cause your brain wouldn't accept it, 'cause you knew they were dead. So how could they be alive? You would look at them smile, wonder and then dismiss them as being 'look a like's'. But if there are pictures of us...if people saw what we looked like when we were young. Then they could map our growth, compare it and see as we age. We can't do anything about the pictures in the White House. But you can do something about the pictures of us when we were younger."

"Michonne and I, went to our parents's house. We have our pictures from when we were younger."

"That's good. You're going to have to destroy all of them, and find all the pictures of everyone we plan to bring back."

"I'll take care of it." Rick said making a mental note to himself.

"There will be a considerable amount of time that will have passed from the time of our death, between the time we come back. Enough for people to forget us, only to consider us a people who saved the world. That's what I'm counting on." Christina. "The whole point of this is for us to lead normal lives, and we can't do that if the world finds out about us-

"Wait." Rick interrupted. "If I come back, I will still have in me right? My DNA, what it can do. So I'll be the way I am, right? How can I lead a normal life with that?"

Christina shook her head. "The walker virus infected people _who were alive._ It didn't bring back people who were already dead, before that. People who had died years ago, did not rise up from their graves. It was the same with you. When you were in the hospital, you were infected when you were alive. But then you fell into a coma and died. It started working after you died, and then you were brought back to life. Of course with the rest of the population people who died, came back as walkers."

"So when I come back-

"You're DNA will be the same, but you won't be able to regenerate. That part of it will remain dormant. Right now, it works in you because of the way it was activated. But when you kill yourself, when you destroy your brain, it will no longer be able to work. The walker virus will die with you."

"I still don't understand. I'll still have in me right." Rick asked anxiously.

Christina sighed. "Let me try to explain it from a different angle. You needed to be alive to be infected. So that's what happened to you and everyone one else. However, in your case it was the perfect match. For everyone else, it turned them into walkers. Your first wife, Lori...she gave birth to Judith, thereby transferring the infection to her as well. Hence she had it. But then we found you could do. So I developed a vaccine and we gave it to everyone, rendering the infection inactive. So when Michonne gave birth to Andrea and Daryl, she passed it along, but it was already inactive in her system, so Andrea and Daryl were not affected. Now in your case, when you come back as a baby, you will carry it but it will inactive. Trust me, you will be able to lead a normal life. If you die, you'll stay dead." She added with a smile.

Rick nodded, but there was something else bothering him. "How do we...grow? If we come back us babies?"

"Tara's orphanage. The doctors will check us, make sure there is nothing wrong with us medically. And then they will take us to the orphanage and we will grow up."

"But we will all be together."

"That's the plan." Christina

Rick rubbed his chin deep in thought.

"Rick...don't you want this?"

"I've been cheating death all my life, and now here I am panning my death, so I can cheat it again."

" You're doing it for the right reasons." She assured him.

"No...I'm doing it for selfish reasons. I want to be with Michonne. You're right...I always wished that we could have more. I always regretted that we lost all those years we could have had together, when we first met."

Rubbing his hands over his face, Rick lowered his hand. "We didn't want any of this. We just wanted to live together, raise a family...but things just kept happening. I just want to live in a world with her, where we don't have to worry about 100 other always said, that we just had to do things that we were supposed to do and then we get to live. We didn't get to live...after everything we had to do... we didn't get to... I just want..."

"What is it.." Christina asked.

"I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing...I wish she was here. She would have known...she always knew..Ever since she died, I kept thinking...about an after life. That maybe she's there and I can join her when I die. And now, I have something else to do...and I have to stay alive for God knows how long." he sighed in anger, at the end of which Rick held his head in his hand, silently crying into it.

Christina reached out and touched his shoulder "I know it's hard...but you have to stay alive. The world is still not quite there yet. It's going to take a long time, until we get back to how we were in 2010."

Rick raised his head and looked at her in sadness and hope. He nodded and said "You really think it's going to work."

"I...I have faith in you." She replied back confidently. She turned to her bedside cabinet, and retrieved a satchel bag. "This contains all my notes, binders of information and also the names of the doctors I have chosen. They will help you."

Rick took the bag and pulled it's strap over his shoulder.

She extended her arms out and Rick hugged her warmly. He got back up from his chair and then walked towards the door. As he was about to leave, Rick stopped.

Christina watched nervously, as his stood motionless. He placed both his hands on his hips and then turned back around to look at her.

"You manipulative, bitch!" He said, as he shook his head.

Christina held her breath as Rick walked towards her. "We'r not going to remember anything."

She gulped nervously as she continued to stare up at him.

"Edwin Jenner, he showed me the human brain, what goes on inside before and after you turn into a walker. He told me, everything that makes a person who he or she is, our memories, all of it, is in there. The brain carries all that information, not the DNA."

"We are going to come back as babies, which means along with regenerating a new body, it's going to be a new brain too, right?" He asked her. "LOOK AT ME!"

"Yes..." She finally raised her head, her eyes brimming in tears. "We're not going to remember any of this. None of us are. We're not going remember anything from this life."

"This wasn't about giving others a chance, this was about you - you want another chance at life. You didn't start thinking about this after Tara died, you started thinking about since that night. Since Michonne came back. You didn't think she would, but after she did, you started considering other possibilities. You were the one who said not to tell anyone else. But I insisted that we tell those who were closest to us."

"So you waited, waited until they were all dead. You waited until Michonne was dead, to tell me."

Christina sniffed her nose. "I'm sorry. I..I just thought that...the rest of us wouldn't be important enough as Michonne-

-SHUT UP! Rick fumed at her. "You knew the only way I'd go through with this plan of yours is if I could bring everyone back."

"It doesn't change anything, Rick. If you go through with it, you sill can bring everyone back. We'll all grow up together in the orphanage, and maybe we can-"

"THEY HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW! They had a right to decide for themselves, about their future, about coming back."

"It doesn't matter! You can decide that now, for them. My plan can still work. Rick, please you can bring them back. You're right. I am a manipulative bitch. I've always been one, but I never meant any harm. It's just the way I am. I have hurt a lot of people because of it. Everyone had a special skill set to survive the apocalypse. This...was one of mine. I'm a survivor just like everybody else. And I..I want a second chance Rick, to be better. To be someone else."

"The rest of you...Tara..all of you were so brave and honorable. I was worried that if I told you earlier, what if all of you decided that you didn't want to go through with it. I couldn't take that risk. So yes, I waited...I waited until all of them were dead. I waited until Michonne was dead. Alone, you'd want to bring them all back. No matter how long it took, no matter how much you had to suffer you'd go through with it, if all you could be together again. But then I was worried what if you decided against it, if we wouldn't remember anything from this lifetime. I couldn't risk it, Rick."

Rick nodded, mockingly, his face masked in anger.

Christina pleaded "Please don't decide against it, just because I-"

"- Oh I'm going to bring them back. I am going go through with your plan." Rick interrupted her.

He pointed at the bag. "I have all the information, I know the plan and I know the doctors I need to see. It's like you said, my name carries a lot more weight than yours. So I am going through with it. I am going to decide for all of them and I am going to bring everyone back...everyone except you!"

"RICK-"

He leaned in and tilted his head to the side "-I GET TO DECIDE - that's the what you said right. So I am deciding your faith. See that's what you did to all of them. They all died not knowing. You're going to die, knowing that there is no 'after'.

"No, please you can't - this was my plan...I'm sorry I just want another chance...Rick..Rick please..."

Rick pulled the bag over his shoulder again and walked towards the door. He slammed it behind as he left.

...

3 months later, on her death bed, Christina requested to see Rick. He denied her request, and Christina passed away not knowing if Rick would ever reconsider.

 _Christina Stevens_ , he engaved into the circular frame of the silver colored pedestal

"What do you think?" He asked Carl, as he finished.

"I hate what she did, but I know you. You're going to forgive her. You're going to give her a chance."

Rick turned back around to look at his 67 year old son.

"It's who you are Dad, and she was a friend. I know deep down inside that if you could, you'd bring back Shane."

Rick turned his face away and looked at names that had been engraved into the circular frame. "What about you? Do you want to..come back?"

Carl shrugged. "Nah, I lived my life. We all did. But our parents - all those names - they didn't. They had to do terrible things, make sacrifices-

"-So did you" Rick retorted.

"But I had you, mom, Michonne. I had all of you. And now, I'm the president and I'm going to be a grandfather. I'm happy, Dad. We all are."

Carl walked towards his father and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You don't have to save us anymore...we all made it. Now just save yourselves. It's the right thing to do. All of you have another chance at life. Take it, be happy. "

"But we won't remember anything."

"Dad, you have to ask yourself if you're doing this to be with Michonne or are you doing this so that everyone can get to live again?"

Rick lowered his head, and shuffled his feet.

"I know you'll figure it out." Carl assured his father.

Rick hugged his son tightly and held him close. Carl closed his eyes as he stood in father's warm embrace.

"You've stayed alive so long to keep me and Judith safe, so that we could live. Now it's time to stay alive for yourself. Which means...you will have to watch us die and you will have to bury us..."

He felt his father's fingers tighten around his body, and his tears stream down into his shirt. Carl clutched his father tightly, and bit into his lips as he tried to restrain his tears.

"I know as a parent that's going to be hardest thing you'll have to do. But no matter where you end up and how your next life turns out to be, no matter what you won't be able to remember, I will always be your son, Judith will always be your daughter and you will always be our Dad...I love you."

"You and Michonne had a life here, together. You loved her and she loved together you had Andrea and Daryl. The six of us were a family, and you were our parents. Nothing will ever change that."

Their broke their embrace and wiped their tears away. "You could all grow up together, in the orphanage. Maybe you'll all be friends, maybe you and Michonne can have something - like it's the first time."

Rick nodded, with a smile on his face. "Maybe we can all be a family again."

 **107 years later**

The world had changed around him. Cities and people grew, and things got back to the way it used to be, like in 2010 before the apocalypse. There was hardly any crime and the world was at peace.

They had built monuments and statues in honor of all the survivors. Streets and buildings were named after them. In schools, history classes had a text books on Rick Grimes and his family. Stories of their survival in the apocalypse era was retold, discussed and debated. Of course, one of the famous debates was if Michonne had died during the attack of the wolves.

Rick Grimes was 201, and still alive. He had lost count on the number of times he had died during the last century. His body healed, but his extreme age kept affecting his health. As he kept dying each time, the regeneration process became faster. What used to take hours, now only took minutes.

He still lived in Alexandria and watched as the world grew around him. He kept the gates locked as he had become an object to be stared at. People traveled from all around the world and waited outside the gates to get a glimpse of him.

He had watched his children and his grandchildren die and buried each of them. He had great-great grandchildren who would sometimes come and see him. But they weren't close. To them he was a fascination, a myth, just like the rest of the world

It had taken 80 years and two generation of doctors until they were finally ready to carry out Christina's plan. During this time Rick Grimes, kept to himself, spending most of the days farming and looking after Alexandria. It was a lonely and painful life, most which he spend living through his memories. In between he ventured out to the earlier homes everyone that was going to come back, collecting their old photographs and video tapes. Once he was back, he would look at the pictures and watch the tapes, and then destroy them.

Once the doctors informed him that they were ready Rick Grimes went to them for the moment he had been staying alive for. He hoped that it would end quickly. To keep things quiet, a lab was built 5 miles away from Alexandria, allowing Rick to travel to and fro, quickly and quietly. But it took the next 27 years of repeated suicides, in order to regenerate the others. The constant cycle put too much strain on his body. Occasionally, he would break out into cold sweats along combined convulsive body shivers. His body began to hurt, he felt constantly tired. But he wouldn't give up and kept doing what he needed to do, until finally all the bodies were regenerated.

He stared at wonderment, at 13 babies (including himself) as they lay in suspended motion, withing their respective glass chambers. The doctors informed him that they needed to stay that way, until they were ready to come out. The chamber will act as a womb allowing the babies to grow, naturally. He was assured that they would be monitored regularly, but it would take each of their own time when they were finally ready to come out; depending on their genes and their DNA.

It was his 201'st birthday, and he found out that he no longer needed to stay alive.

He got up that morning and looked around his old bedroom and bathroom, remembering the first time he had made love to Michonne. He walked around the streets in nostalgia stopping at Glenn's old house, thinking back to the night of the party. She had looked so beautiful that day and he had kissed her for the first time.

He discovered an old photograph from that night, everyone was in it. Rick and Michonne were in one corner talking. Abraham and Rosita, Christina and Tara, along with Glenn and Maggie holding Judith, who were the only ones posing for the picture. Morgan standing in another corner of the room eating dinner alongside Sasha who was looking at him, with Eugene in the background. And of course, Carol and Daryl standing next to Carl. Daryl had raised two of his fingers behind Carl's head.

He cried in joy as he stared at the picture. He couldn't even remember when they had taken it. Seeing all their happy faces, knowing that he was about to join them.

Rick took the picture along with him and then went back to his room. He retrieved the old boxes from his closet, that contained all the pictures and drawings and personal belongings of him and Michonne. He had kept it till the end.

He went to the back yard and looked at each of them. He burned them one by one until nothing was left.

Rick stepped back into the house one last time and went to his closet to retrieve a few more items. Among them were Michonne's sword and his old Colt Python. He placed it on her side of the bed and walked out.

He walked towards Daryl's and Carol's room and placed his crossbow in his side of the bed and her knife on her side. He went to Morgan's room and placed his staff and Carl's hat on Carl's bed.

He looked around the house one last time and closed the door.

He did the same at Glenn's house, leaving a personal belonging of each person he had.

It was his way of leaving something for the world, from each of them.

The old man then slowly made his way to the graveyard, stopping only to pluck some flowers. He passed the silvered colored pedestal, and for the first time didn't stop to glimpse at it.

He walked towards Carol's grave and laid the flowers over it. He looked to the side, at Daryls' and then whispered to both.

"I hope you two find each other."

He then passed over each grave, stopping to say something to each of his friends, until finally he was at Michonne's.

"Rick..."

The voice in his head was back. It hadn't talked to him, since the day he decided he was leaving for Washington.

"WHAT? I thought you said THAT was the last time..."

"I know, but since this is THE last time, I just wanted to say goodbye and that I'm proud of you man. I'm glad I got to be you. I hope you find her...and get to be with her."

"Okay..." Rick swallowed nervously."Goodbye...and thank you."

Rick knelt down in front of her grave and stared at the name on her headstone. Memories rushed into his head. He could almost feel her touch, he could almost her speak her, he could almost smell her scent.

...

 _Hi, uh...is this the bar - 'Drinks & Good Times' ?"_

 _Definitely not someone from around here, Rick thought to himself._

 _"Yes it is. How can I help you?"_

 _After a brief pause, she replied_

 _"Hi, I was in the bar 2 days ago. I think I lost an earring of mine over there. I was wondering if you had come across it?"_

 _..._

 _Jeff looked at Rick, incredulously, "she's a beautiful black woman, hot boobs, amazing butt and did I mention drop dead gorgeous? Oh, and by the way she was dressed, I'd say she was looking forward to meeting you!"_

 _Rick was taken aback for a moment, "What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean a girl does not put on a smoking hot dress, and come looking that gorgeous, just to meet a guy, to collect a lost possession."_

 _Rick quickly looked around if he could spot her. "Where is she? She didn't leave, did she?"_

 _"afraid so, Rick. You see, your girlfriend figured out that I wasn't you. May be it was something I said, I don't know. But then I said you were my brother and I pointed you out. Unfortunately, you were back there flirting with Laurie. Your back was turned to us, but we could tell you guys were having a good time. The poor girl had this hurt expression on her face. She asked me to tell you 'thank you' from her, and left."_

 _Rick immediately felt guilty. He wanted to meet her as well. But Jeff had pushed him towards Laurie and he just got caught up in moment._

 _"Relax man. Maybe it wasn't meant to be! May be you were supposed to end up with Laurie tonight._

...

 _"uh.. this is...Jeff. Actually I'm Rick. Jeff is my..."_

 _Cindy realized who it was - 'the balls on this bastard! Glad, Michonne used her mother's name.'_

 _"Jeff, as in Jeff from the party?" Cindy inquired quietly._

 _Rick responded, hesitantly "UHHH...yes. Kind of. Actually I'm... I'm sorry who is this?"_

 _"I'm her friend! Look Jeff, I hear you're big on giving out advice to kids. Let me give you one - why don't you do what ADULTS do, and go play with someone your own age. In fact, I heard you met someone last night. So why don't you give her a call. Wait a minute! How did you get this number?"_

 _Rick patiently waited for her to finish, "Uh...they have a...caller ID at the bar! Look, I just want to talk to her, alright? What happened last night was a misunderstanding. Look I can give you my number, can you tell Michelle to call me back? Or I could call her, just tell me when she'll be free."_

 _"Don't you get it? She does not want to speak to you. Look she's got her exams coming up. So will you leave her alone?"_

 _Rick stared down the phone book, and saw the address next to the number._

 _Samsonn Ferai,_

 _2201 Oak Lane,_

 _Rick always knew that he had a wild side. A side that acted out on impulse and anger. That side was telling him to hang up and drive down to her house. He could wait outside, until she got back._

 _'STOP!' JUST STOP. THE GIRL DOES NOT WANT TO SEE YOU!' - his rational side reasoned with him. 'JUST LET HER GO. SHE'S NOT MEANT FOR YOU'._

 _Rick took a deep breath and spoke into the receiver, "alright. Just tell her I'm sorry". Rick put down the receiver and walked away from the payphone. He kicked the front-left tyre of his car, in frustration. He looked around him, at downtown Atlanta, as he decided to head back to King's county."_

 _..._

 _Why did this take so long?"_

 _'cause I didn't think I could ever fall in love again...and I didn't know I was, until now._

 _..._

 _Megan looked at Michonne and smiled "So It was you. I was the girl on the couch! Remember? You came in all dressed up. God I may have forgotten your face, but I'll never forget that dress. It was just so beautiful. Anyways, you came up to me and asked about Jeff. And I pointed you in his direction and I think I said 'you missed your chance or something'. Megan giggled at her last comment, before continuing; "He was with that blonde – she had this weird name…."_

 _"Lavanya" Rick said quietly._

 _Michonne turned to look at him, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time. She saw his brother's resemblance. She remembered the voice on the phone, from their first conversation. She recalled why Rick's voice sounded familiar the first time he spoke to her, at the prison_

 _"Hey, hey..it's all right. Look at me. Look at me"._

 _She was looking at him, now. She was looking at his face, his eyes, his nose, his lips – the face she was meant to see 18 years ago. The man she dressed up for, and drove 50 miles to meet, on a school night._

 _"A 'thank you' would be nice"_

 _"Sure, no problem! Just point me towards the Jeff I spoke with last night."_

 _"He's right over there" Jeff pointed towards another guy. He was standing at the corner of the room talking to a brunette. His back was turned towards them._

 _"That's my bother, he's name's-_

 _"I am leaving. Thank your brother for me."_

 _It was him. It was Rick!_

 _Rick's blue eyes reflected back at her with effervescent joy. His face split into a wide grin. The band aid under his eye scrunched together, as he smiled. His arms reached out from his sides and cupped her face. He swallowed hard barely able to restrain everything he was feeling at the moment. "Michelle!", was all he could say._

 _Michonne gripped his hands and squeezed them. "Jeff", she quietly whispered._

 _For a second the world had stopped spinning. There were no walkers. They weren't surrounded by death and danger. They weren't damaged by the people they lost or the people they killed. They were an 18 year old high school girl and a 23 year old cop, who had – finally– met for the first time._

 _..._

 _She shuffled her feet in the dirt and looked at him in the eye. 'You're quite dreamy, you know. That mix of grey and black hair. Ruggedly handsome, blue eyes, that southern accent…OH! STOP IT. GET A GRIP. You're not 18 and meeting some stranger at a party.'_

 _He noticed the hesitancy and trepidation in her stance. 'Oh shit! She's feeling awkward. She's probably thinking about what I tried to do last night.'_

 _"Hey, Michonne, you okay?"_

 _"Hmmmm…? Yeah I'm fine. You?"_

 _"….If this is about last night?..._

 _She held her breath waiting for him to finish._

 _'What're you thinking, Michonne? I can't get a read on you today.' He thought as he paused uncertainly to complete his sentence._

 _"…I just want to say….. I am sorry…."_

 _Michonne's shoulders slouched a bit in disappointment._

 _Rick blinked at her, unsure if he had misread her signs. His mind was racing 'Wait! You were….are you disappointed?…did you like that I tried to kiss...did you want me to….?'_

 _"It's okay, Rick. We were talking about our past…we got a bit emotional. Uh...I got to go. I said I'd help Maggie with...something"_

 _She quickly turned around to leave._

 _"Michonne?..."_

 _"I got to go- Rick. I'll talk-see you….. la-ter." 'Oh my God, I'm struggling to get a sentence out. What the hell is wrong with me? She thought as she quickly tried to walk away._

 _"MICHONNE!"_

 _She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him._

 _Rick stood a few feet away, with a determined look on his face. He felt his heart rate begin to rise. He heard each beat, as it pounded faster and faster in his chest._

 _He took a deep breath, and then. "I'm sorry for NOT kissing you, last night. I wish I had - I wanted to."_

 _Michonne blinked back at Rick, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She felt her cheeks starting to get warm. She blushed and then her face slowly split into a smile._

 _He felt a tremendous weight lift from his chest. He knew he will never forget that look on her face._

 _His felt elated as he thought...'God! You're so beautiful. How could have I been so blind? You've been standing in front of me and I looked at someone else, because she reminded me of my past? I'm sorry Michonne, I am a dumb-ass! 'Cause only someone like that could not see you for who you are. You're strong, you're brave...you're fierce, and you're a warrior...at the same time...You're gorgeous, you're compassionate, you're kind, you're caring, you're sweet...my kids, they love you. And I...I think I'm getting there.'_

 _She walked towards him. "Well, maybe you should try again."_

 _"Oh, I intend to" he replied taking a step forward_

 _"RICCCKKK, we're ready"._

 _It was Tobin with the usual group of men and woman. 2 weeks ago, Rick had implemented a new system of farming, where a representative of each family would participate. People were eager to join as they realized they could grow food for themselves, and wouldn't have to depend on any kind of rations or quotas._

 _Rick was teaching them everything he had learnt from Hershel. Today, he had almost forgotten about it._

 _Rick turned back to see Tobin wave at him from the distance. He raised his hand up to signal Tobin, he had heard him._

 _Exasperated, he looked back at Michonne and smiled at her apologetically._

 _"It's okay, Rick. You go ahead"_

 _"Maybe….we can see each other…later?" Rick asked sincerely._

 _"Yeah…maybe…." Michonne replied, teasingly._

 _She saw his eyes move up all over her face taking in every detail. He seemed to be thinking about something. And then without warning, he slightly raised his chin and brought his lips to her forehead._

 _He then stepped back, and looked at her._

 _The moment their eyes met, they chuckled at each other._

 _"Was that a tease?"She asked him._

 _"No...That was me saying...you're beautiful" He said quietly. "I'll see you later."_

 _With that Rick took a step back and slowly turned around. He walked towards the group of 'aspiring farmers'. There was a spring in his step and the widest grin on his face._

 _Michonne watched as he walked away and turned around, with her own grin. As she walked towards Maggie's house, she kept recalling what had just happened._

 _'Did Rick just flirt with me?'_

 _..._

 _Rick had just turned towards the watch tower when Tred had spotted him. Form across the distance, they stared at each other in vengeance and fury._

 _Tred opened fire on them. The bullets rained down upon them, as Rick and Michonne huddled together for cover._

 _From inside Alexandria they could here more gun shots_

 _"We got to get in there!" Michonne yelled through the gun fire._

 _"Let's go for the West wall! The houses on that end are bigger, he won't be able to spot us." Rick replied back. "I'm going to take a few shots at him...make him think we're trying for the gate... "_

 _"...and then we go back the same way...head for the wall...he'll tell his people we're out here..." Michonne finished his chain of thought._

 _Rick stared back at her as he kept breathing in and breathing out "we're gonna get through this."_

 _They were lying on their bellies; faces a few inches apart, while bullets flew around them_

 _There was a pregnant pause, before Michonne replied "I know...I believe in you, Rick."_

...

 _He smirked slightly "...I'm heavier than I look...besides, i'll just slow you down, leave a blood trail... Those bastards will catch up... and they'll kill you. I'm already dead..you shouldn't waste your time on me. You need to get back and...help them..."_

 _"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU THINK, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE YOU?"_

 _"Michonne..._

 _"you said 'we stick together no matter what'. I'm sticking with you. If we're going to die, we're gonna die together."_

 _She tore a piece of her shirt, around her waist, and wiped the sweat off his face._

 _"Michonne...please...Carl and Judy are back there. You gotta protect them. They can't grow up in a world without the both of us. You got to look out for them...tell them I'm sorry and I..tried...Tell them that I... love them very much."_

 _"WE're BOTH going to be there for them...all I need is a long piece of cloth." Michonne looked around desperately. "You could lie on it and-and I'll drag you..."_

 _"Michonne, stop..._

 _"No, Rick I'm thinking...or a branch - a long one. You could just hold on...or..." she covered her face with her hands "I just need to think...I just need..."_

 _"...you need to leave..NOW."_

 _"NO...we can figure something out...Rick...Rick stay with me...PLEASE...PLEASE!"_

 _Rick had closed his eyes again. He licked his lips, dryly._

 _'He lost a lot of blood...he needs fluids...water...' She raised her hands; covered in Rick's blood from helping him walk, and looked around desperately. She looked at the sky above her for a hint of rain, and then at the ground beneath her._

 _She took a few steps back and fell on her knees. Using her fingers she violently scratched against the earth, trying to dig through the rocky exterior. It broke her nails and tore through her skin; she barely flinched as she kept digging until she realized the stream was located far towards the East. Geographically, they were on the opposite end. This area had nothing but rocks._

 _She looked at the bruises and cuts on her fingers, and then at her sword. Rubbing her hands against her clothes, she grabbed the sword with her right hand and made a cut to the index and middle fingers of her left hand._

 _Still on her knees, Michonne moved towards Rick and held her fingers towards his dehydrated lips; he sucked on them gratefully._

 _She watched him sadly as her mind flashed over last night_

...

 _Guys Rick and I were just talking – we were getting to know each other. There's no need to make a big deal out -"_

 _She heard footsteps behind her. Michonne turned around to see Rick walk towards her._

 _As he reached her, he placed both hands around her cheeks and puller her towards him. He brought his face towards her, and kissed her lips for the first time._

 _Her hands went around his back and held onto him as tight she could. She kept her head raised as she kissed him back; she pushed her body into him and felt his heart beating in his chest._

 _Their lips broke apart, breathless, as a thread of saliva hung between her lips and his. They lovingly stared at each other, unable to look away._

 _Rick whispered for Michonne to hear "'I'm saying I like you, and I WANT YOU TO KISS ME! That's what you were saying earlier."_

 _She traced her fingers around his lips. "Yeah."_

...

 _"Kiss me..." He said breathlessly._

 _She knew what he was asking, she understood what it meant._

 _She shook her head in anger "NO! NO, you don't get to do that. I'm going to find a way to get Christina out here. After she fixes you up, I'll...I'll kiss you. I'll... hold you as tight as I can...and I'll never let go...we'll be together..." Her voice finally broke. She couldn't go on. Her chest felt heavy, she was finding it difficult to breathe...and then she let it all go._

 _Michonne lowered her head and put her hand on his shoulders. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. Her whole body shuddered as she cried, taking deep breaths in between._

 _Rick watched her cry through his blood shot eyes. His body, tired and broken, didn't have anything left in it. He wanted to touch her, but his arms felt like they were tied down to the ground._

 _Michonne raised her head, and looked into at him. She leaned forward and placed her hands on either sides of his head. She took his lips in her mouth and tasted her blood on them. She opened her mouth slightly and felt his dry tongue push forward. With all the energy he could muster, he lightly brushed against the inside of her mouth trying to savor ever inch of it one last time. Michonne's fingers caressed his hair, as she held on tightly. He finally enclosed his lips around her upper lip, unable to let go._

 _For second, it felt like a few hours ago; they were standing under the shower, rubbing their bodies, tasting and touching each other. Confessing their true feelings, while making love. Feeling safe in each other's arms, blissfully happy and content._

 _But they were out in the woods, kissing each other goodbye. "I love you, Michonne. I love you so much" he said, as their lips finally broke apart. They rested their foreheads pressed against against each other._

...

 _The place was exactly as Wilson had described it. Rick ran towards a spot that looked like it had been recently dug. He suddenly felt afraid of what he was about to find in there. He used his bare hands and dug into the earth as fast as he could._

 _"MICHONNE...CAN YOU HEAR ME... MICHONNE...MICHO-"_

 _He saw it, in the midst of all the dirt - a hand that lay motionless. Rick quickly dug around it. Finally, his hands brushed over her body. Rick reached into the mud and heaved away handfuls of dirt, like a man possessed._

 _Brushing away all the mud around her face, he grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Sitting on his knees, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes._

 _Rocking back forth he whispered into her ear "No, no, no, no...I'm here...please just.. just open your eyes."_

 _Placing his right hand on her back, he rubbed her gently. "We are supposed to be together...We were always meant to be together..._

 _But she lay motionless against his shoulders._

 _Gently placing his left hand behind her head, he laid her down. He saw the blood glistening around her waist;he saw blood stained bra that was barely covering her breasts; he saw the scratches and imprint of several hands on her body; he saw the bashed in side of her face; he saw his own tears fall over her body._

 _He brain felt like it was about to explode. He grabbed both sides of his head, trying to hold the pain, as he sobbed uncontrollably._

 _Unable to accept it Rick raised her body; one hand behind her back and the other behind her head; and held his head towards her chest, trying to listen for a heart beat. He laid her back and started performing CPR. He repeatedly breathed into her mouth, trying to pour all the air he had into her lungs finally causing him to cough wildly._

 _Rick stared back at her, almost willing her to get back up. But she remained motionless, with her eyes shut. He bend over her and brushed his ace against her's. He kissed her dust covered forehead and then her lips. His hands trembled as he softly touched her arm; he pulled her towards him._

 _Carrying her in his arms he sat down in the 'grave', with his back to the wall. Placing her across his lap, he held her lifeless body tightly against his chest and pressed his lips into her cheek as he cried. "It's okay...it's all over now...It's all..."_

 _Rick eyes widened as a sudden thought occurred to him._

 _He looked back at Michonne, who lie dead in his arms. 'I can bring you back!'_

...

 _Rick climbed over the side of the bed and embraced her warmly, arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. As he caressed her face, it didn't feel cold anymore._

 _He opened his eyes, and raised his head to look at her. The bruising on the side of her face had subsided, and her cheek bones looked as if they had straightened out._

 _"uuuhhhh.." She gasped for air, and raised her head._

 _Rick moved back in shock and fell off the bed._

 _Quickly pushing himself, Rick stood in shock with his mouth slightly open._

 _Wide eyed and looking just as shocked as Rick, Michonne stared back at him_

 _"Rick..."_

 _Hardly daring to breathe, he blinked back at her several times, afraid if he was hallucinating._

 _Michonne looked back at him, utterly shocked. She glanced back and forth between him and the familiar surroundings of the infirmary and then at herself in the back strapless dress._

 _"Where...how am I..."_

 _She cringed in pain, and clasped her left hand over her belly, where she had been shot. Placing her right palm on the bed for support she slid backwards towards the railings behind her._

 _She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Horrifying images of Rick, bleeding to his death, asking her to leave him behind, flashed through her mind._

 _As she opened them again she looked at him "You're...bleeding.." She rasped, anxiously._

 _Following her line sight of Rick looked down to his left side; a dark stain was beginning to form on his shirt. He had torn open his stitches when he had fallen of the bed._

 _His eyes stung as they began to well up; his vision began to blur, causing him to blink. Drops of tears streamed down his face. His lips quivered as they broke into a grin. He laughed, overcome with relief and joy, and rushed towards her._

 _Placing his knee, he climbed over the bed and embraced her living, breathing, warm body. His arms wrapped around her exposed shoulders and pulled her towards his chest._

 _She could hear the beating of his heart. She rubbed her face into his sweaty shirt, crying into it, breathing in his scent. Her hands crawled upwards and held onto either sides of his shoulders, her finger nails digging into the fabric of his shirt_

 _He ran his fingers over her back; rubbing her skin, feeling it underneath his fingers. His saw his own tears drop onto her body, as he lowered his head and repeatedly kissed into her shoulders and her neck. His ran his fingers, upwards, through her hair and placed it behind her head._

 _Michonne raised her head upwards as her hands reached for his face._

 _As Rick felt her fingers on his cheek, he lowered his head._

 _They closed their eyes and wrapped their arms around each other. Their noses brushed and pressed against each other. Enclosing their lips, their tongues met twisting and turning, savoring everything they could taste. Their minds blank, all except for one thought;_

 _'You and I. Today and always.'_

...

 _He watched her beautiful face stare up at him and then turn to her side. Her lips opened over the side of his length and softly kissed it, running her tongue down the side. A little bit of his hair got into her mouth. She stuck out her tongue and pulled it out with her hand._

 _She smiled awkwardly up at him._

 _Rick shook his head, smiling. "You don't have to.."_

 _She licked her lips "I want to...every inch of it", her eyes reflected back at him passionately._

 _She moved back her head and looked at the head of his penis. Readying herself, she opened her mouth and engorged the tip. Slowly, tasting him, feeling him inside her mouth._

 _Time seemed to come at a stand still for Rick. Maybe it was her tongue, or maybe it was just the thought of her sucking him. Whatever it was, it felt absolutely incredible as she repeatedly slid her mouth over him. Occasionally, he felt her teeth brush against his flesh. He moaned closing his eyes_

 _She stopped and pulled her mouth of him "Did that hurt?" She asked looking anxious._

 _"No...It's perfect. You're ...perfect..." Rick said assuredly, trying to catch his breath. Michonne blushed a little and looked back at his length. Before she could open her mouth again, Rick reached down and kissed her, tasting himself for the first time. They fell back on to floor as he spread apart her legs, ready to enter her._

 _Grabbing her thighs he pulled her closer. He penetrated her slowly, feeling her insides contract around him. He started moving back and forth at a steady pace._

 _They continued to kiss, moving their hips together as they made love. Their lips broke apart and they looked at each other. Rick started to increase his pace, thrusting forwards harder and deeper, as Michonne cried out in pleasure._

 _The injury to his ribs started to ache in protest. Rick felt himself slow down, biting down on the pain and pleasure he was feeling. She grabbed his ass cheeks and clenched her fingers over them. "Don't stop...Don't stop...oh...Yes..YES.."_

 _He groaned as he moved faster, not stopping to think about the pain. Rick grabbed her arms and pinned them down; Michonne moaned in pleasure as she felt every inch of him inside her. Powerful waves of orgasm swept throughout her body multiple times as Rick kept thrusting into her._

 _Finally, clenching his jaw, he ejaculated; pumping his thick load of semen deep into her. His body jerked a few more times, as she felt the final drops seep into her. He collapsed over her, as she lay on the floor feeling light headed, staring up at the ceiling in a dazed._

 _"That was..." he tried to form as their sweaty bodies lay against each other._

 _"...incredible..", his voice broke as he finished._

 _Michonne started laughing, staring up at the ceiling, feeling a sense of gratitude and joy. And then as the laughter died away, she started to break down. Tears rolled down the side of her face, as she covered her mouth with her right hand. Her body shook with tiny jerks, as she tried to control her tears._

 _Rick raised his head to look at her; he looked just as broken as she was. He wiped her tears away, and then caressed the side of her face. He shifted his weight, off her and lied down on his side. With his left he pulled her into a embrace, as she weeped into his chest._

...

 _Michonne opened the gun chamber and extended her palm towards him. One by one he handed over the bullets, as she loaded them into the chamber of the gun. As she was about to load the the sixth and final bullet, She froze briefly as she saw a small wooden box . She opened it and saw a diamond ring; the stone was a bit jagged around the edges and the metal looked like it had been melted, in the form of a circle, to hold the stone._

 _She froze, blinking hard, looking at it. She turned back to look at him with a mixture of emotion and surprise on her face._

 _Kneeling on one knee he looked up at her "..been making that for a while now. Found the stone in the woods and then melted copper to form the ring. I know you deserve more..but.._

 _He held his right hand to his chest..."I wanted to make that for you. See I've had this crush on you since I was 23... And I've been in love with you for a couple of years...the kind that makes me look at the skkkyyyy and wonder about the birds and the shape of the clouds..."_

 _Michonne bit her lips, trying to control her tears and laughter._

 _Rick grinned at her..."I know I can be difficult and stubborn, at times...Sometimes I do stupid things. But not so much since you've come into my life. What I'm trying to say is...I love you, Michonne...I LOVE YOU...so much that I..._

 _Rick started laughing again, this time he had tears._

 _"...so much that...I wanna save the world! For you and our children... You make me happy...in fact the only way I can be happier is... if you marry me._

 _He paused to wipe his nose._

 _"Michonne Ferai...will you marry me?"_

 _She sniffed and laughed in joy, recalling the first time she had heard his voice._

 _"Yes.." she nodded. "Yes...You've kinda had me at 'hello'._

 _Rick got back up on his feet and pulled the ring out of it's case. She extended her left hand towards him and he slid the ring on to her finger._

 _"I love you." She whispered._

 _They leaned in and kissed as the final light of the setting sun washed over them._

...

 _Rick stood in church, waiting for Michonne to walk down the aisle. He laughed thinking of the last time he was here._

 _'Would I be standing here, today, if I had met her that night?"_

 _As the doors to the church opened, everyone turned to see the flower girl walk in - Judith, along with Maggie carrying Andrea in her arms._

 _Then came the groomsmen - Abraham and Morgan along with the bridesmaids._

 _Finally, Michonne walked in with her most dazzling smile. She was the most beautiful bride he had seen. Carl was the one to walk her down the aisle, to give her away to Rick. He couldn't think of anyone more perfect._

 _Rick turned ever so briefly, and looked at the crucifix and the Jesus Christ that was hanging from it. For a second he was back in the church in the outskirts of Georgia. The Church they had come across when Sofia had gone missing. He remembered asking for a 'chance'. He looked up at the face of Christ, and said ever so quietly, "Thank you!"_

 _Carl kissed Michonne's cheek and then shook his father's hand. "Take care of her." Carl said gruffly, like an old man._

 _Rick nodded, keeping a straight face, as Carl placed her hand in his palm._

 _"Ready"?_

 _She squeezed his fingers, gently, and said, "ready."_

...

 _"Tell me, Rick. How long are you going to be out there? How long do you think it's going to take you to clear out Washington, and take the White House?"_

 _"We can stay in contact..we can use the walkie-talkies and the radio to stay in touch.."_

 _"How long do our kids wait before they see their father and brother, again? Because they are going to ask me and I am going to have to tell them something. And I, as strong as you think I am, I'd still want to know for myself how long would I have to wait before I see my husband and son again."_

 _Daryl touched his father's face softly, while his mother looked up at his father; her brown eyes brimming in sadness as she stared into his blue ones. He held her gently around her waist and pushed her closer. "I don't know. But nothing is more important to me than you and the kids. So if you think this is the wrong decision I won't do it. If you don't want me going out there, I won't do it."_

 _Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head. Rick embraced her with one arm and laid his head on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, breathing in his scent, feeling his beating heart against her chest. She interlocked her hands around him and whispered for him to hear._

 _"It's not the wrong decision. And I don't want you going out there, but I know you have to because I know you. So if you want me to stay here and take care of our kids, be the leader, look after the communities, wait for you and Carl to come back...I'll do it. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for my husband, for the father of my children, I love you, Rick...so go save the world and then come back to me."_

...

 _"Michone...can you hear me?"_

 _"Michonne..."_

 _All he could hear was static. He tried again._

 _"Michonne...can you hear me.."_

 _"YES! YES, I can..." Michonne wanted to pinch herself, make sure that this wasn't all a dream._

 _"OH THANK GOD!" Rick called out in relief, holding the side of his head._

 _"WHERE ARE YOU? Where's Carl, Where have you been...Rick?"_

 _Rick held the side of his head laughing out in relief. He used the back of his hand to wipe his nose and then his tears._

 _"Carl's fine. We're in the White House...We're in the White House!...It's over baby...Washington is ours."_

 _"What?" She asked him again._

 _"I'm coming home..."_

 _He heard her sob in relief and happiness._

 _"You're coming home..."She kept saying_

 _"I'm coming home..." he shouted in joy. "How long...how long has it been?"_

 _"It's been 4 years, 8 moths and 23 days."_

 _"Oh God...how is Daryl, Judy, Andrea...how are they...?"_

 _"They are beautiful...The grew up...Daryl's 8, Andrea's 9...Judy's 11...They're in class right now."_

 _Rick covered his face in his hands, crying into them._

 _"Rick" she called out, sniffing her nose. "Rick..."_

 _"Yeah...I'm here..."_

 _"Today's your birthday... You just turned 50 "_

 _Rick took a deep breath and then smiled "I'm 50 years old.."_

 _"Happy Birthday, my love."_

...

 _He then stopped and pulled her closer to him._

 _"I LOVE YOU, BAABBY, and if it's quiet alright,_

 _I need you BAABBY, to warm the lonely night._

 _I love you, baby...trust in me when I sayyyy..._

 _Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray_

 _Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay.._

 _...and let me, LOVE-you-baby..._

 _Rick turned around and walked towards the door, as Michonne sat up in his arms, holding onto him. She kissed him on his cheek and rested her forehead against his._

 _...let me love youuuuuuu... he sang as he carried her into the bedroom._

...

 _"You could have told me." Michonne whispered to him, with a smile._

 _"And miss that smile on your face...no way." Rick answered back. "Still, he could have named it after me, you know." he added in mock jealousy._

 _She looked into his handsome face, and stared into his blue eyes. "I love you." She leaned across and kissed him._

 _"I love you, too, baby." he replied back._

 _She inserted her right arm around his left, and rested her head on his shoulder._

 _Rick kissed the top of her head and looked around at everyone. Kids were running around playing tag._ _Carl and the rest of the parents kept looking at Rick, waiting for his signal._

 _It was almost time._

 _Inside the kitchen the chef decorated a cake, with the icing of a gun and a katana. While Daryl watched him over his shoulder, pestering him with directions on how it should look. In the center of the cake he wrote "Happy 50'th Wedding Anniversary."_

 _"I have one more surprise for you..." Rick whispered, just as they brought their coffees to the table._

 _Rick looked to his side at her resting against his shoulder._ _"Michonne..."_

 _He gently shook her, "Michonne..."_

 _Her head slumped to the side, her eyes were shut, a ghost of a smile on her face._

 _"Is she asleep?" Rick turned around to look at his grand daughter standing by his side, curiously looking at her grand mother._

 _Rick stared at her wordlessly. His eyes started brimming with tears as he bit his lip._

 _He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. He replied back with a smile. "Yeah, sweetie..."_

 _Rick turned look at Michonne's motionless body_ _"She's...she's just sleeping."_

...

Tears of joy streamed down his face, it was finally over.

Rick Grimes pulled out his Colt Python from his holster for the last time. He pointed it towards his head and pulled back the hammer. The gun was locked and ready, for it's final kill.

He looked towards her headstone again, at her name. His left hand extended out, brushing over it.

 _"I love you, Michonne. I see it now...We were and always are meant to be. And no matter what happens next, I know we'll see each other again."_

He pulled the trigger and his dead body fell to the ground, right in front of her grave. Rick Grimes was finally dead

 **THE PLAN**

Daryl, Carol and Sasha had taken longer than the others. Having died, long before the others, their blood had taken slightly longer to accustom itself to Rick's ability to regenerate. Once they had formed into babies, they needed to remain in their chamber longer than the others. In case of Rick and the others, it took two years. But Daryl, Carol and Sasha the length of time stretched out into ten.

Seeing no reason why the rest needed to wait, the reaming 10 were taken to Tara's orphanage, just as they planned. The need for secrecy prevented the doctors from sharing who these babies were to the people in the orphanage. They simply told them that they were abandoned at the hospital and needed a place to be looked after.

But everything did not go as planned. Unbeknownst to the doctors, the babies were put up for adoption, and each of them were taken in by couples who couldn't have children of their own. Thereby, separating them at birth

The same happened to Daryl, Carol and Sasha, once they were taken to the orphanage.

The doctors came back and destroyed all the materials, documents, every shed of proof that the lab had even existed. Swearing themselves to secrecy, they departed.

 **27 years later**

"They say that their love for each other was so strong and so pure, that even death couldn't keep them apart."

"That's pushing it, they were human beings right?"

"How else would you explain Michonne coming back from the dead. As we all know the great battle of Alexandria had led to several deaths of prominent figures in history. Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Sasha Williams..Michonne Grimes was one of them. You've read about it haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. And no where is it mentioned that Michonne came back from dead because of LOVE!"

"FINE! But you did read about the part where Rick carried her body in his arms and ran for 50 MILES-"

"-5 Miles...they were in the woods"

"Right, 5 miles back to Alexandria. As he ran through the gates, he cried like a mad men for Dr. Christina Stevens, swearing he could bring Michonne back."

"But Michonne wasn't dead. They thought she was. They took her inside the hospital wing, and at 6:00 AM Michonne gained consciousness. Dr. Christina saved her life."

"Check your facts, no where in the history books is it written that Michonne was thought to be dead-"

"-Rick SAID she was dead and that he could bring her back. And then they took her inside the hospital wing."

"And then they walked out, together! I think Rick Grimes was capable of determining if someone was dead or not! "

"YOU CAN'T BRING SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD! RICK GRIMES WAS THE EXCEPTION, BECAUSE OF HIS DNA. He claimed she was dead, maybe he made a mistake. it's obvious isn't it, Dr. Stevens worked on her and saved her life."

"NO! RICK KISSED HER AND THEN SHE WOKE UP."

"HA HA...You mean like SLEEPING BEAUTY. That was a fairy tale, and in it sleeping beauty wasn't dead. She fell into a 'death-like-sleep'.

"I'm telling you it was their love for each other. Why can't you be more romantic?"

"Why can't you be less dorky..."

"SHUT UP! AND SCREW YOU."

"Alright...alright, it was their love."

"Theirs was the greatest love story ever...better than ROMEO AND JULIET!"

"OKAY!..better than ROMEO AND JULIET... You know they died for each other, right?"

"Well, Rick and Michonne's story was not fiction. And they LIVED for each other, had two more kids and SAVED the WORLD. Far more noble and meaningful. Michonne died (again) at the ripe old age of 88, holding on to him. And Rick... he shot himself in the head at the age of 201. They found him in front of her grave. Even then, after all those years, in their final moments, they still wanted to be with each other. Now that was TRUE LOVE."

Rick Grimes sat listening to the couple, at their playful banter. But he didn't know they were his old friends. He didn't know that it was Daryl and Carol. In fact, he didn't even know that he was Rick Grimes.

* * *

 **A/N: I have been holding all this in, since chapter 6. Can't believe I'm here, sharing it with all of you. Do you leave your thoughts and comments. To the people who hate me and my fanfic (thanks for still reading). Next update, we will see where our characters are and...I think you will find it refreshing. Cheers and have a nice weekend.**


	36. Richonne, When Harry met Sally

_**A warm hello to all the readers. Considering the kind of story arc and the plot points we have covered, this is one of the most lightest and happiest chapters so far. Having said that, the previous chapter was sort of a game changer, and you will see why as you read this one, the second part of the epilogue. Chapter 36: When Harry met Sally**_

 _ **As per the suggestion of my firend severelybabykryptonite, I just wanted to ask, if any of you want to write a Richonne fic, but are not sure how to begin or how to go about it, please feel free to talk to me. I'd be more than happy to give you any input or idea you are looking for.**_

 ** _Thank you for the reviews, guests. Especially that one guest, who wants to give love another chance. I'm happy and humbled that this story could have given you that moment of inspiration. So thank you and good luck._**

* * *

 **107 Years later**

The world had changed around him. Cities and people grew, and things got back to the way it used to be, like in 2010 before the apocalypse. There was hardly any crime and the world was at peace.

He had watched his children and his grandchildren die and buried each of them. He had great-great grandchildren who would sometimes come and see him. But they weren't close. To them he was a fascination, a myth, just like the rest of the world

On his 201'st birthday, he found out that he no longer needed to stay alive.

He got up that morning and looked around his old bedroom and bathroom, remembering the first time he had made love to Michonne. He walked around the streets in nostalgia stopping at Glenn's old house, thinking back to the night of the party. She had looked so beautiful that day and he had kissed her for the first time.

He discovered an old photograph from that night, everyone was in it. Rick and Michonne were in one corner talking. Abraham and Rosita, Christina and Tara, along with Glenn and Maggie holding Judith, who were the only ones posing for the picture. Morgan standing in another corner of the room eating dinner alongside Sasha who was looking at him, with Eugene in the background. And of course, Carol and Daryl standing next to Carl. Daryl had raised two of his fingers behind Carl's head.

He cried in joy as he stared at the picture. He couldn't even remember when they had taken it. Seeing all their happy faces, knowing that he was about to join them.

Rick took the picture along with him and then went back to his room. He retrieved the old boxes from his closet, that contained all the pictures and drawings and personal belongings.

He went to the back yard and looked at each of them. He burned them one by one until nothing was left.

Rick stepped back into the house one last time and went to his closet to retrieve a few more items. Among them were Michonne's sword and his old Colt Python. He placed it on her side of the bed and walked out.

He walked towards Daryl's and Carol's room and placed his crossbow in his side of the bed and her knife on her side. He went to Morgan's room and placed his staff and Carl's hat on Carl's bed.

He looked around the house one last time and closed the door.

He did the same at Glenn's house, leaving a personal belonging of each person he had.

It was his way of leaving something for the world, from each of them.

The old man then slowly made his way to the graveyard, stopping only to pluck some flowers. He passed the silvered colored pedestal, and for the first time didn't stop to glimpse at it.

He walked towards Carol's grave and laid the flowers over it. He looked to the side, at Daryls' and then whispered to both.

"I hope you two find each other."

He then passed over each grave, stopping to say something to each of his friends, until finally he was at Michonne's.

Rick knelt down in front of her grave and stared at the name on her headstone. Memories rushed into his head. He could almost feel her touch, he could almost her speak her, he could almost smell her scent.

Tears of joy streamed down his face, it was finally over.

Rick Grimes pulled out his Colt Python from his holster for the last time. He pointed it towards his head and pulled back the hammer. The gun was locked and ready, for it's final kill.

He looked towards her headstone again, at her name. His left hand extended out, brushing over it.

 _"I love you, Michonne. I see it now...We were and always are meant to be. And no matter what happens next, I know we'll see each other again."_

He pulled the trigger and his dead body fell to the ground, right in front of her grave. Rick Grimes was finally dead

 **THE PLAN**

Daryl, Carol and Sasha had taken longer than the others. Having died, long before the others, their blood had taken slightly longer to accustom itself to Rick's ability to regenerate. Once they had formed into babies, they needed to remain in their respective chambers longer than the others. In case of Rick and the others, it took two years. But Daryl, Carol and Sasha the length of time stretched out into ten.

Seeing no reason why the rest needed to wait, the reaming 10 were taken to Tara's orphanage, just as they planned. The need for secrecy prevented the doctors from sharing who these babies were to the people in the orphanage. They simply told them that they were abandoned at the hospital and needed a place to be looked after.

But everything did not go as planned. Unbeknownst to the doctors, the babies were put up for adoption, and each of them were taken in by couples who couldn't have children of their own. Thereby, separating them at birth

The same happened to Daryl, Carol and Sasha, once they were taken to the orphanage.

The doctors came back and destroyed all the materials, documents, every shed of proof that the lab had even existed. Swearing themselves to secrecy, they departed.

 **27 years later**

Daryl was adopted by a wealthy couple in their 40's. They never told him he was adopted. They brought him with a lot of love and affection, giving him the best of everything, and his parents absolutely adored him.

Naturally, he was a bit spoiled. But he remained who he was - a bad boy with a heart of gold.

At 17 years of age, he was in his final year of high school, in the best private school in the country. With his natural good looks, pocket of full of money, his sports cars, his title as the captain of the school's basketball team, and not so bad grades, Daryl was the most popular guy in school.

Girls lined up to get his attention, and he enjoyed it. But his name wasn't Daryl and he didn't remember anything from his past life or that he used to be Daryl Dixon. In this life, he was...

"Norman Dominic!"

The girl squealed in excitement, as he pulled back the door and entered the school. He whipped his head back, and used his right hand to push his perfect straight dark hair backwards. He looked around, instantly making eye contact with everyone around him.

He knew they were all watching him. He knew what every girl was thinking. He saw three in one corner, gazing straight at him.

"I heard he still hasn't asked anyone to prom, yet!" One of the girls whispered to the others.

"What? Why? Didn't he and Rebecca break up 2 months ago? I heard she's going with Sam. Damn it! I said yes to Randy, yesterday."

"Bitch please... Like you had a chance! This is Norman-fucking-Dominic, he's looking for a real woman."

"Oh let me guess, you're the skank who holds the title of a 'real woman'?"

"At least my boobs are real-"

"-SHUT UP! Here he comes."

They quietened down and smiled in unison as he passed. He smiled and nodded at them in return.

But there was only one girl that he, secretly, desired.

He waved, and high-fived his friends and then his eyes fell upon the only girl who wasn't looking at him. She was looking into her locker searching for something (probably a book, he thought to himself)

He gulped nervously, aware of the fact that everyone was watching him. But he didn't care anymore, he knew who he needed to be with. He had felt it, for the last 6 months. Rebecca was just an idea of a girl he thought he wanted. But she was real - she was 'Melissa Cambris'.

Mellisa and Norman had met in kindergarten, on the first day of school. She had fallen down and hurt her leg, Norman helped her up and brushed away at her wound, as she cried in pain. He took hold off her hand and together they made their way to the school nurse. He waited outside for her, as she was being treated.

When she came out of the nurse's station she smiled as him, as he asked her 'are you okay?' They were friends, the best of friends ever since that day.

But as they grew up, they grew apart. Norman's quick acceptance to popularity, caused him to turn away from his friend, when they were in the 5'th grade.

She, like Norman, wasn't aware that she was adopted. But as she grew up she began to suspect it. When she was 13, she heard her mom talk on the phone to her grandmother, about her inability to have children. It didn't hurt her as much as she thought it would. Maybe because she always suspected it, or maybe because they loved her enough that she didn't feel need to worry about it.

From that day, she changed her outlook on life. She decided not to squander the opportunity or take for granted the life she was given. Her parents were well off and they did love her. She set goals for herself, and with her exceptionally bright mind became more studious. She wanted to be a doctor and nothing deterred her from that goal...well almost nothing.

Mellissa perceived herself as very complicated individual because sometimes she didn't understand herself. She had a practical side that often made her the smartest person in the room. And yet, at the same time, there was a romantic and imaginative side as well. Like most people in their generation, she grew up learning about Rick Grimes, Michonne, Daryl, Carol and the others, and their fight for survival. She was a geek at heart and absolutely loved that she could turn off the serious practical side of herself and regale in the slightly goofy, dreamy and awkward side of herself. Her parents were religious, and Melissa started out as such. However, as she grew older she often questioned and faith and belief. But she never stopped praying and she still believed.

Although the world had built itself back from the apocalypse, the one thing it left for last was the field of entertainment. Movie theaters and T.V networks played the old movies, shows and video songs from 2010 and the time before that. Since the new generation had nothing else to watch or knew of anything 'new' it still remained the benchmark or entertainment and pop culture. Melissa, like many others, was one of those who enjoyed them. She read old fairy tales, comics from that era, and everyone's favorite - stories of the apocalypse written by Dr. Christina Stevens, for her practical knowledge and her personal enjoyment.

But she kept this slightly goofy, dreamy and awkward side to herself. To everyone else she was the smart chick, who was also 'hot'. Her wavy reddish-brown hair, that she kept trimmed, reached just around and below her neck, often caught the eye of every boy in school. But she intimidated them. Her no nonsense attitude and serious persona and her intelligence, often made both male and female classmates 'insecure'. Melissa had her own circle of friends and she kept to it, never wanting or desiring to be part of the 'popular' crowd. She was happy and confident about herself, (yet sometimes she looked towards Norman).

He was the only person, apart from herself, who knew the 'other fun side' of her. She didn't know what it was, but as far as she can remember, she had always felt a connection between them. Norman enjoyed her company, and his freedom to be himself when he was with her.

Melissa was sad to see them drift apart, but she wasn't the needy type either. Over the years, they had these moments where they would share these moments, an eye-contact, a smile that no else saw or knew, no matter how many people were standing around them. She cheered for him every time he had a basket ball match, and secretly prayed every time the ball passed to his hands. She never told anyone - 'it was none of their business.'

Unknown to Melissa, Norman too cared for her. There were people who wanted to see her 'fall'; break her sense of confidence and intelligence. Practical jokes, pranks and scams were planned to publicly humiliate Melissa Cambris. But they never came into fruition; Norman never allowed it to happen.

About 3 months ago, when he was going 'steady' with the school's future and self proclaimed prom queen - Rebecca - Norman went to see Melissa. School was out and everyone had gone home for the day. Melissa was in the library, listening to music, as she worked on her project.

His grades were slipping and he needed her help. He talked to her for the first time, since they were 10 years old. He asked if they could meet after school; as he wanted to keep things 'private'. Melissa wasn't fooled, but she didn't care about his insecurity in accepting their friendship in front of everybody else. Although tempted at first to say, 'screw you, Norman' Melissa agreed, with only a second's hesitation, as she still considered him as her friend. She smiled and said 'no problem.'

A week into their study sessions, Norman was teasing her about one of her comic book theories, while Melissa fiercely debated her fictional point of view. It was as if nothing had happened between them. He was himself and she was herself, and they were blissfully happy in their own world. They kept stealing glances, 'accidental' brushing of arms and shared long gazes at each other

A month later, Norman broke up/dumped Rebecca. Rumors and gossip flied throughout the whole school. When Melissa heard, she didn't know how to react at first, but she felt sickeningly cheerful for the rest of the day. That evening when they met, Norman felt too nervous to talk about it. Whilst Melissa hoped he would say something.

2 months passed by and Melissa was starting to feel dissapointed. She hated herself for feeling it, but she wanted him to say it.

Norman on the other hand, kept chickening out. The social circle he ran with (and secretly hated) his popularity status, kept him confused, and didn't know what to do. On the other hand, his grades had come up and he was doing better.

"I don't think we need to do this, anymore" Melissa said at the end of another study session.

"Why?"

"You're grades are up, academically you're doing fine. Isn't that why you asked my help?"

"Yeah, but we could-"

"You don't need me anymore." She said with a tone of finality.

Norman nodded and Melisa said good bye and walked away, leaving him confused and hurt in the library.

He had grabbed his bag and drove back home, with his thoughts on Melissa. That night he lay in bed unable to sleep, until he arrived at a decision.

Thinking back to last night, Norman stood in the hallway unable to breathe or move. He had walked in, with his usual swagger trying to remain as casual as possible. But now he didn't care about it anymore as he watched her finally fish out the book she was looking for out of her locker. He watched her as she unzipped her bag put the book inside, unaware that he was looking at her. She was wearing blue pants and a white blouse to match it, her reddish-brown hair had an unusual gleam to it.

Fidgeting briefly, Norman finally took one step forward and then made his way towards her. The rest of the school watched in curiousness.

As he neared, Melissa looked up at him. Norman's hands reached out and closed the open locker door, behind her.

He didn't say anything at first, but simply looked into her eyes. She looked back, starting to feel shy, then nervous. He had never stood so close to her. Norman felt the tingling sensation, in his hands, to reach out and touch her.

"I broke up with Rebecca..."

She gulped nervously, as she tried to maintain her composure "...Why?"

Norman shrugged his shoulders look towards the locker door behind her, and then back at her

"because...she's not _you_. And I want to be... I need _you_." Two of his fingers gently pulled at her blouse, and Melissa moved closer to him. He lowered his head and she closed her eyes. His hands moved slowly around her back, as he embraced her. Her hands interlocked behind his lowed back. Their lips met, their tongues touched, it was gentle and tender. It had taken over a century and half, but Daryl and Carol were finally together.

There was a collective intake of breath, jaws hit the floor and eyes popped out. Whispers broke out, fingers pointed in their direction, but they remained oblivious to it all.

A week later, they went to their prom together and skipped it half way through. They drove to a movie theater that was playing ' _When Harry met Sally' and then_ dinner at _Michonne's._

Daryl Grimes, who had started the first coffee chain, since the apocalypse, had further expanded into the fast food business before his death. It had grown, it was successful and even after all these years, it still remained the number one franchise in the fast food industry.

It was 12 in the morning, Norman and Melissa's phones (that was on silent) repeatedly kept ringing. But they sat feeding each other french fries, as she re-enacted some of Meg Ryan's scenes as 'Sally' and Norman responded back as Billy Crystal's character 'Harry'; listening to her with rapt attention, not missing a word, absorbing every expression that passed over her face.

 **One week later...**

"They say that their love for each other was so strong and so pure, that even death couldn't keep them apart."

"That's pushing it, they were human beings right?"

"How else would you explain Michonne coming back from the dead. As we all know the great battle of Alexandria had led to several deaths of prominent figures in history. Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Sasha Williams..Michonne Grimes was one of them. You've read about it haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. And no where is it mentioned that Michonne came back from dead because of LOVE!"

"FINE! But you did read about the part where Rick carried her body in his arms and ran for 50 MILES-"

"-5 Miles...they were in the woods"

"Right, 5 miles back to Alexandria. As he ran through the gates, he cried like a mad men for Dr. Christina Stevens, swearing he could bring Michonne back."

"But Michonne wasn't dead. They thought she was. They took her inside the hospital wing, and at 6:00 AM Michonne gained consciousness. Dr. Christina saved her life."

"Check your facts, no where in the history books is it written that Michonne was thought to be dead-"

"-Rick SAID she was dead and that he could bring her back. And then they took her inside the hospital wing."

"And then they walked out, together! I think Rick Grimes was capable of determining if someone was dead or not! "

"YOU CAN'T BRING SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD! RICK GRIMES WAS THE EXCEPTION, BECAUSE OF HIS DNA. He claimed she was dead, maybe he made a mistake. it's obvious isn't it, Dr. Stevens worked on her and saved her life."

"NO! RICK KISSED HER AND THEN SHE WOKE UP."

"HA HA...You mean like SLEEPING BEAUTY. That was a fairy tale, and in it sleeping beauty wasn't dead. She fell into a 'death-like-sleep'.

"I'm telling you it was their love for each other. Why can't you be more romantic?"

"Why can't you be less dorky..."

"SHUT UP! AND SCREW YOU."

"Alright...alright, it was their love."

"Theirs was the greatest love story ever...better than ROMEO AND JULIET!"

"OKAY!..better than ROMEO AND JULIET... You know they died for each other, right?"

"Well, Rick and Michonne's story was not fiction. And they LIVED for each other, had two more kids and SAVED the WORLD. Far more noble and meaningful. Michonne died (again) at the ripe old age of 88, holding on to him. And Rick... he shot himself in the head at the age of 201. They found him in front of her grave. Even then, after all those years, in their final moments, they still wanted to be with each other. Now that was TRUE LOVE."

Norman grimaced back at her, sarcastically.

Rick Grimes sat listening to the couple, at their playful banter. But he didn't know they were his old friends. He didn't know that it was Daryl and Carol. In fact, he didn't even know that he was Rick Grimes.

It was late in the evening, the sun had barely set. They were at a their favorite park, on their favorite bench. But something was different today. Norman wasn't just teasing her, he was also kind of being a jerk about it. Like she was being stupid and silly. Melissa knew what her ideas sounded like, and Norman knew how much she enjoyed discussing wild and crazy theories, with him.

"What're you doing?" Melissa asked in a serious tone.

Norman shrugged at her, turning his face away from her.

She held his jaw and turned his face back to her again. He looked like he was bored.

"It's nothing I haven't heard before."

Melissa was taken aback by his comment.

"What? If you get to be you...then I get to be me, too."

She brushed the side of his face. "This isn't 'you'...

He gently pushed her hand away and sat up, looking straight ahead.

Melissa did the same, but kept taking peeks at him. "You want to go for a walk?"

"Naah! Why don't you go ahead, if you feel like it..' He folded his arms, avoiding eye contact.

Rick realized it was time, as he sat crouched in the bushes. He needed to do this quietly, when she was least expecting it.

Melissa got up from the bench and looked at him one more time. When she saw that he still refused to look at her, she turned around started walking slowly. She frowned slightly, as she tried to understand what is going on.

Two guys crossed her path, wearing overcoats.

Melissa saw them, just as they turned towards her. Before she could even blink, one of them pulled out a guitar.

" _You're too good to be true.."_

 _"Can't take my eyes off of you..._

Melissa stood in shock, as she watched the stranger sing

" _You'd be like heaven to touch.._

 _I want to hold you so much.._

 _At long last love has arrived_

 _And I thank God I'm alive..._

 _You're just too good to be true_

 _Can't take my eyes off of you."_

The guy next to him, pulled out a saxophone and started playing it in rhythm, along with the guitar. Norman's hands wrapped around her waist, as he gently kissed her cheek and whispered "I love you."

She turned around and looked at him, comprehension drawing upon her face.

Her hands clasped around his cheeks, squeezing them together tightly, as she kissed him. "I love you, baby. I love you so much."

He raised his right hand, a crystal shaped in the form of a flower with red rubies that enamored at the top. It resembled a rose flower. "You wanted me to be more romantic."

 _"I LOVE YOU, BAABBY, and if it's quiet alright,_

 _I need you BAABBY, to warm the lonely night._

 _I love you, baby...trust in me when I sayyyy..._

"Rick sang this song to Michonne, their first night in the white house. Christina and Tara heard them, as they walked past the oval office that night." Melissa whispered.

"I know, I read the book too. That's why I chose this song...I knew you would appreciate it." Norman whispered.

 _Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray_

 _Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay.._

 _...and let me, LOVE-you-baby..._

"Will you...let me do some lovin' tonight?" Norman asked quietly. Melissa blushed, and pressed his hands together. They applauded as the singer and the saxophone player finished the song.

"That was incredible." Melissa said happily clapping her hands. The guitarist and the saxophone player accepted the applause and bowed. "You have a wonderful voice" she added to the guitarist.

"Thank you." he replied back.

Norman smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, that was great. Hold on...we'll be right back"

"Sure." He looked at Steven holding the saxophone and handed over his guitar. He whispered. "Get the car started, I don't want to be late to the office."

Norman and Melissa paced back to the bench they were sitting on.

"That wasn't just me being romantic. That was me being me, the Norman you always knew. I really meant it."

"I know. And I meant it too." She said wrapping her arms around him and kissing his neck.

Norman ran his hand through her hair and kissed her forehead. "Give me a sec, alright? Let me pay the guy."

"Where did you find him?" She asked curiously.

"A few months ago, I was at this club. This guy, Andrew, and a few of his buddies were performing on stage. As per the request of a Frank Sinatra fan, he started singing this. And as he kept singing "I love you, baby", I kept thinking about you. That's how I knew. The next day, I broke up with Rebecca."

Andrew stood gazing at the two 'love birds', as they kissed. He checked his watch again, and decided to be patient.

Norman walked towards him and handed over an envelope.

"There's 5000 dollars in here." Andrew exclaimed. "I mean I appreciate it, kid, but don't you think you paid too much for 5 minutes of our time."

Norman turned around and looked at Melissa, as she sat on the bench holding the crystal flower in her hand. "No, it was worth it."

Andrew shrugged and smiled. "Al right them. Glad to have been of assistance."

"You know, someday, I'm gonna marry that girl. And I'd like you to play at our wedding."

"Woah! It's that serious huh?

"Yeah, it is."

"Sure, I'll be there."

As he was about to turn away, "Hey, Andrew..." Norman called out

He walked towards him "I wanted to ask, have we met before? Before the club, I mean."

Andrew thought about it for a second. He felt it too; something eerily familiar, but he couldn't place him. "Not that I can remember."

Norman looked back, trying to think. "How old are you?"

"25.."

"What's your last name?"

"Simpson."

"Have you played at any parties..."

"No, I haven't been to many rich boy parties." Andrew said with a grin.

Norman laughed along. "Fair enough."

Andrew smiled and shook his head. "I have one of those faces. Most of the people I meet ask me the same question. Like they've seen me before."

"Hmmm...maybe that's it then." Norman replied.

"Anyways I got to run. Uh..good luck, kid. Hope you two have a very happy life together."

Norman extended his hand out to Andrew. "Thank you."

Andrew smiled and reached out and shook his hand.

Saying goodbye to each other, Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon parted ways. Until they met again at his and Carol's wedding.

...

Andrew Simpson made his way towards the car, smiling to himself having had it happened again.

 _Do I know you?, Have we met? There's something awfully familiar about you. Once or twice he had been told he looks like a younger version of Rick Grimes! Christ!_

As he sat in the passenger seat of the car, Andrew turned around and surveyed the busy streets of Washington city. He glanced over at the famous Grimes memorial that had been constructed 27 years ago, as he stared across the street for oncoming traffic.

It was the statues of Rick and Michonne Grimes, sitting on their couch, watching over the city.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you had fun with this chapter.**


	37. Richonne, the risk of losing

_**Hello Richonne lovers, hope you're all doing well. I guess it's time to see where Rick and Michonne are at, in this new world. Here's the third part of the epilogue. Chapter 37: Richonne,** **the risk of losing.**_

* * *

"I don't know man, those guys-

"-Kids!"

Fine!... kids, look pretty big."

"Steve.."

"I'm serious..."

"Don't worry, I gotta plan."

"Andy, come on. There are about 20 of them over there. The suit you're wearing may be cheap, but it's the only one you got. And you got to be back at work in 1 hour."

He turned to look at a nervous looking Steven in the driver's seat. They were in Andrew's Honda Accord, parked across the street, watching some rough looking kids playing in the basketball court.

"Just stay in the car and keep the engine running."

"What?"

"You're staying here."

"No way! Do you really think I'm just going to let you-"

"-I said 'no'. Now stay in the car, and keep the engine running."

"Andy, you don't have to this."

Andrew scowled at him. "What if it was Sonny? Would you have felt like doing 'nothing'?"

Steven lowered his head at the question. "5 minutes, if I don't like what I see I'm coming out there. You're not going to get beat up alone."

"I'm not going to get beat up at all."

Andrew opened the door and exited the vehicle. He crossed the street and walked towards the court, loosening his tie and removing his only watch. The kids aged between 16 - 21 comprised of all kinds of ethnic backgrounds. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian.

As they saw him, they stopped playing and looked at him in his grey suit. Sizing him up, they waited to see what this was all about.

Putting away his watch into the right pocket of his pants, Andrew entered the basketball court.

...

The 55-year old white woman surveyed the 25-year old black woman, sitting in front of her. She had a pixie hair-cut, combed neatly from left to right, with a tuft of her straight black hair partially covering her forehead. She was dressed plainly in a light blue suit and pants. Her make-up was light; a little mascara around her eyes and lip-stick.

Her face looked a little tired; her eyes looked anxious and expectant. Slightly leaning forward, she was sitting with her elbows on her knees and her hands held together.

 _'Strikingly beautiful...hmmm... elegant features that look like they are radiating off her. She get's your attention the minute she walks in, but you don't see it, until you see it. And once you do, you can't un-see it. Also, there's something else...something familiar...what is it? - never mind!...I can't just sit here looking at her...'_

"Miss Lawrence..."

"You can call me Danai." She said with a smile.

"I'll think about it. For now allow me to call you miss Lawrence..."

"Of course, Mrs. Jenkins." She replied back quickly, with the same smile and the same level of eagerness.

 _'Someone who's not intimidated by me-That's a first!...okay sweetie. I like you, but let's get down to business.'_

"You're designs are exquisite. I have taken a look at the samples you handed over to my procurement team, and I like what I saw."

"Thank you-"

"-But they are also cheap, the material. That's not going to work for me."

Danai squeezed her hands together, underneath the table. Yet her face remained calm and as pleasant as ever.

"Oh, I should have warned you. I don't waste my time with diplomacy. I'm direct and straight forward. Most people tell me that's not the way to business, but I have been doing this since I was 20 and so far...I've done okay."

Danai nodded. "One of the many reasons why I'd like to work with you and your company, Mrs. Jenkins."

"You won't be working with me, but you'll be working with my company if you can provide with what I'm looking for."

"That's why I'm here today. And I do want to work with you-eh-your company."

"Very good, Miss Lawrence. Now how long have you been in business?"

"A little over 2 years."

"2 years. I know all the players in the market. How come I haven't heard of you?"

"I am from Richomond, Virgina. I primarily dealt with retail businesses-

"You mean local stores?"

"That's right, ma'am. Stores located within my neighbor hood at first and then I branched out a little-

"And now you want to expand your little business. So you've come to Washington D.C?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Jenkins nodded her head and then leaned forwards from her chair. Placing her hands together in front oh her, she looked at Danai.

"As you're aware we are an international brand, that caters exclusively to women's fashion. When my grandmother began this company over a hundred thirty years ago, the world was still being rebuilt. Back then people were making their own clothes.

"Yes, ma'am I'm aware of that-"

"-Andrea Grimes who was the Vice President back then, was a classmate of her's. She helped my grandmother in starting this company. The ground floor of this building, that was it. A single store for men's, women's and children's clothing. Our first customer was Michonne Grimes. Andrea and the secretary of state Judith Grimes brought her to this store, the day it opened. She came in here to buy...what was it...the point is Mrs. Michonne Grimes was our first customer."

"Wow." Danai exclaimed.

"Of course, people you're age don't realize the importance of those moments. Most of you just take things for granted. You have no idea how much struggle and hard work was required to bring the world back to the way it was. My point is we have come a long way since then. In the last decade we have had to face competition, and so when I took over from my Mother I decided to concentrate on women's fashion, specifically high end clothing. The 'Jenkins' brand name was modified as 'Jen-Kay'to signify-

"-the latest in fashion." Danai interrupted. "Competition is intense, you want designs and ideas that stand out. You cater to customers that have refined taste and interests - wealthy, powerful people - and so you expect a standard that lives up to the rich history and reputation that your brand holds. I can provide you that-"

"-but the material is cheap." Mrs. Jenkins replied icily.

"But you are considering it - working with me."

Mrs. Jenkis laughed. "My dear, this is just one meeting."

"And you could have had one of your managers meet with me, instead you chose to meet me yourself."

Mrs. Jenkins kept smiling back at her.

 _'I knew it_ _'_ Danai thought to herself _._

"Whether that's true or not, the fact remains that you have never supplied for a business this size. And you're inexperienced as far as far I'm concerned." Mrs. Jenkins replied

"I was still able to figure out that Jen-kay hasn't manufactured anything in the last 30 years. You buy from small to medium scale suppliers like me and then you attach the 'Jen-Kay' logo and sell it at 10 times your buy price. Now I don't know who you are buying it from, but I do know that my prices are lesser that your current supplier and as you said, my designs are exquisite-"

"Which brings us back to the material!"

"Okay. If you agree to give me a 50% advance, I can deliver 4 weeks from now. Complete line up of summer wear, with a higher quality of material and my prices will remain the same."

"50% advance? ...No."

"Mrs. Jenkins-"

"You don't have the money, Ms Lawrence. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll figure it out but I can't pin my hopes on you. Everything you said is true, I have a current supplier, been dealing with them for a long time now. But they've gotten lazy."

"Your someone new, your prices are good and you have some new and interesting ideas, but I've never worked with you before and you've no one to vouch for you. From a business perspective, it would be risky to switch over to you. Let alone, give you a 50% advance. I'm sorry, Ms. Lawrence. I don't think this will work."

...

"I am here to talk to Marcus." Andrew declared with authority.

One of the kids looked at him and said "What do you want?"

"Want to talk about Mary, your classmate from school."

"What about her?" He asked gruffly.

"A few days ago you put your hands on her. I'm here to tell you to stop."

The boys looked at Marcus, questioningly and then turned back to look at Andrew. "What is he talking about, Marcus?"

"Nothing...a few days ago me and my girl were enjoyin' some alone time..that's it."

Andrew interrupted him. "-Getting to 2'nd base can be fun, as long as she wants it too."

"Who the fuck are you? You think you can just come here and tell us what to do?"

"Well, I'm here and I'm telling you." Andrew shrugged his shoulders. "So I guess I'm already kind of doing it."

They looked at each other and then walked towards Andrew. As they surrounded him, Andrew immediately felt tensed, but he didn't show it. He kept his eyes on Marcus, with same level of seriousness.

The boy next to Marcus began to speak to him, clearly pronouncing himself as the alpha male of their gang. "Listen here pretty boy, you tellin' him shit, is like tellin' us shit. It don't make a difference who you're talking to. And right now you're talking to all of us...you understand?

...

Danai could feel the anger frustration seeping into her.

 _"From a business perspective, it would be risky to switch over to you. Let alone, give you a 50% advance. I'm sorry, Ms. Lawrence. I don't think this will work."_

 _SHIT!_

"You just told me that you're interested in my ideas and like my prices."

"And you told me you need a 50% advance."

"I will deliver as promised."

"And what's the price of your promise, Ms. Lawrence? I'm talking about business here and from where you're sitting, you got everything to gain from this partnership and nothing to lose. Doing business with someone like that...well, I don't know."

"Mrs. Jenkins, please don't insult my intelligence. You want me to deliver without having to make any sort of commitment. And if I do that, I take all the risk. When I deliver, you'll say no, and then you'll have leverage. You'll use it to negotiate and I'll be forced to further reduce my prices." Her voice never wavered, neither did her tone. She was as polite and professional as she was when the meeting had started.

Mrs. Jenkins looked back at her in silence; annoyance and embarrassment loomed over her face. But Danai didn't flinch, she continued to stare back at her waiting for her response.

...

Andrew stared back at the boy next to Marcus. He then looked around as he stood surrounded by all of them, clenching their fists, ready to give him a beat down.

"Johnny, you've grown so much."

The boy frowned at Andrew

"The last time I saw you, you were 7, holding your mother's hand sniffing your nose because you had a cold."

Johnny looked at him in confusion.

"You were living on the other side of town back then. I was 16, an errand boy running around helping people out like your Mom, with their daily chores. That's how I got by, living on my own."

Andrew turned around and looked at Marcus. "So were you. One day you fell down the staircase and got a nasty cut to the back of your head. If you run your fingers through the back of the head, you can feel the mom and I took you to the hospital, but she didn't have insurance. She had a little money on her and I had my savings. That's how we got you treated. A few years later she got a better job, and the two of moved here."

Marcus looked back at him in surprise, suddenly recalling his face.

Andrew turned to look at Johnny. "Your Mom's a nurse, your Dad a janitor. It was difficult for them to look after you because of their timings, and they couldn't afford a baby sitter. So I took care of you, till you were 10. And I did it for whatever they could afford give me."

Andrew looked around at the whole lot of them. "I know all your parents, and I know most of your from when you were just 4 feet tall."

"THAT'S who the fuck I am! And that's why I can think I can just walk over here and tell you what to do."

"-Look, man-"

"-Shut up. Mary and her little sister, along with their father stays in the same building as I do. I baby-sited her and her little sister, just like I baby sited you and Johnny. So when I hear that her 'boyfriend' tried to pressure her into sex; that he grabbed her boobs when she said 'no' and put his hands inside her pants...I'M NOT OKAY WITH THAT! Especially since her boyfriend is 'YOU', Marcus.

"She didn't want to worry her Dad; especially since after her Mom ran away with some guy, her Dad having to work two jobs. So I found her on the stair case, late at night crying. I asked her what happened and she told me."

Marcus couldn't look him in the eye.

"I wonder what your mom and Dad will say, if they ever found out."

"No, please-"

"-Why not? You and your girl were having some alone time, right?"

"Take it, easy..."

Andrew grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer."That girl is someone's daughter and someone's sister. You remember that the next time you decide to-"

"-I'm sorry...It won't happen again. I promise."

Andrew let go off of his collar and then looked around at the rest of them. "If anyone here's okay with what Marcus did to Mary... if any of you would be okay if it happened to a woman in your family, then go ahead...take the first swing, knock me down, kick my ass...If not, get the fuck out of my way."

With that Andrew started walking away, half expecting a punch or a kick. Instead, they parted ways allowing him to pass.

At the same time, Steven came running towards the basketball court stopping quickly as he saw an unscathed Andrew walking back. Andrew could feel his heart beating against his chest. He let out a sigh of relief as he nodded towards Steven.

They got back in the car and drove towards Andrew's office.

"What happened? What did you tell them?" Steven asked in anxiously.

Andrew had a smug grin on his face. "I told them I'd kick their asses, scared the shit out of them."

"Really?" Steven asked in awe.

"Yeah...You saw what happened." Andrew replied back, with an arrogant smirk on his face. Steven kept his eyes on the road as he drove Andrew back to work.

It took a few seconds, but then Glenn Rhee smiled and turned to the passenger seat to look at Rick Grimes. "BULLSHIT!"

Rick couldn't help it, he turned to look back at Glenn and laughed along with him.

...

"I want a contract Mrs. Jenkins, stating the terms of our agreement."

"Really? You think I'm just going to give you one."

"Yes. If not, you can always ask me to leave." Danai held her breath, as she waited for Mrs. Jenkins to respond. It was a bluff, but it was only card left to play.

After what seemed like 2 minutes of silence. "Alright, Danai. I'll give you a contract, but I meant it when I said no advance payments."

"Then I'll need 10 weeks, for delivery."

"10 weeks? That's too much. Best I can give is 6 weeks."

"8."

"7 Weeks and don't push it, Ms Lawrence."

Danai nodded, mentally calculating the money and time it will require to manufacture and supply.

"Two days." Mrs. Jenkins interrupted her thoughts. "I'll draw up a contract and we will meet on Wednesday, 10 AM, that's when we'll sign. And once you do, you better deliver as promised. If not, then this will become a legal matter."

She nodded her head, fully comprehending what she was saying. "It's like you said, I have something to lose now."

"Danai" Mrs. Jenkins called her by her first name. "That's how it always is. You can't have something, without the risk of losing something else. The only question is how much do you value this risk? How much are you willing it to bet on it. Because from what I can gather you got the deal of your life. You start supplying us, your designs your ideas, your clothes are going to be the most wanted the most desired by women all over the the world. That's the kind of power the Jen-Kay brand has. But on the down side, no advance which means you have two days to raise the money you need and then sign with us."

Danai remained as calm as ever as she said. "I understand." In her head, she was already considering her options.

"Do you really? Because I wasn't kidding when I said it will become a 'legal matter'."

"Neither was I, when I said I will deliver in 7 Weeks." Danai said more confidently than she felt.

"Okay, then. If you can deliver then I'll tell you what's going to happen. I have been planning on relaunching our brand in the grandest way possible. I want to make an event of it. Get media involved, bring in my friends - the ones you described as having 'deep pockets'- I want to make a grand show of it. There's going to be a fashion show, there's going to be music, ball room dancing, it's going to be one hell of a party. The who's who of Washington is going to show up. Your designs are the best I've seen in years. They are new and fresh and exciting, exactly the kind of thing that I'm looking for in revitalizing the 'Jen-Kay' name. If this deal works out, then the top models from this company are going to walk the ramp, showcasing your clothes, that night."

Danai almost pinched herself, to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her stared back at the old woman, in wonder. She came here in the hope of striking a business deal but this was more than she bargained for.

"Of course, there is a catch. The world will know them as my designs. I can't have a nobody take credit for them, when we are going to brand them under my company's name. You'll be paid of course, very very generously. We will give you your own team, we'll open a manufacturing unit, you'll have your own office, your own staff. You will be working directly under me."

Danai could barely contain her excitement. All those years of hard work was about to pay off. She never cared for fame, she was always more interested in the art; to hone her skills. Working with Jenkins would allow her to do that without any kind of limitations. It was a dream come true - A stable life, a job doing what she loves most, along with money and respect."

"That's...I don't know what to say."

"Say, YES, Danai."

"Yes." She nodded, clearly overwhelmed. "Yes."

"Then all you have to do is sign with us."

That flicker of joy inside her head was interrupted as she remembered, she still needed to arrange the money to manufacture and deliver in 7 weeks. She knew what she needed to do.

"I will."

"Good. Then we meet in two days and once we sign we make it official. Hope you arrange the money you need by then."

"Yes, I can."

"Well I look forward to our next meeting."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins." Danai said warmly and got up from her seat. She pulled her bag over her shoulder; her fingers shook with excitement and tension, as she reached out and shook hands with Mrs. Jenkins.

"Call me, Sally." The old woman said with a smile.

Danai nodded at the sign of respect and turned to leave. She immediately started debating whether to take subway or the bus. The subway would be cheaper she thought.

"..It was a suit.."

Danai stopped with her hand on door knob, she turned around to look at Mrs. Jenkins. "I beg your pardon."

"Michonne Grimes, she came to the store to buy her husband a suit. Rick Grimes had decided to step down from being the president. It was a famous moment in history. Rick and Michonne, up on the balcony of the White House. Standing together, addressing the whole city...people stood out side the gates in awe as they watched him speak. The speech was broad-casted through the radio to the whole world about him retiring, and welcoming his son Carl Grimes as the new president. People cried that day. And them...they were wearing the clothes brought from the this store."

She stopped to look at Danai. "You remind of her...there's something about you."

Danai smiled politely. It wasn't the first time she had heard it.

"Thank you, Sally. I'll see you on Wednesday."

...

As Andrew saw the familiar outline of the office building, he cringed in frustration. He was the junior most sales executive at a printer company. He hated it, but without a formal education this was the best he could do. Occasionally, he and Steven along with a few of his other jobless friends spent their evenings performing at clubs or parties. The pay was small, but they always managed to have fun and often got free food.

As Steven stopped the car, Andrew checked his watch. "Lunch break's almost over. Got to go back in."

He then took out his wallet. "This is a hundred dollars, here's the list of groceries we need to get-"

"-Can I have some money-

"-for what?"

"-BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM!"

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Thank God they haven't started making anything new."

Steven interjected passionately "They really should. I mean the world is back to normal now. Why isn't anyone concentrating on the entertainment industry? Movies, MUSIC, T.v shows, video games...I'm tired of watching re-runs. And we're playing the same songs that existed over a hundred years ago!"

"Because they work...all those things over a century ago is all we have now. Until someone decides to start working on something new. Besides, it's not like we have heard and watched everything."

"Exactly, ARKHAM ASYLUM is the only game left that I haven't played it yet. There was supposed to be a sequel to it, Arkham City. It was supposed to come out in 2011. Never happened and we'll never know how it was supposed to turn out."

Andrew checked his wallet, he had a twenty dollar bill left. He looked across at his brother as he continued to ramble on about the game. Steven was wearing a black T-shirt that Andrew had bought him for his birthday, his only clean pair of jeans and white sneakers. He smiled to himself as he looked at him fondly and pulled out the twenty dollar bill he had in his wallet.

"Groceries first, then buy your game. Come back here and park the car, leave the keys with receptionist. Oh and don't forget we got that thing at Morgan's park. That boy Norman said to be there by 6:30 pm. "

"Okay" he said enthusiastically, clearly think about playing the game.

As Andrew was about to exit the car..."Steve, don't forget to tune the guitar and the saxophone. We won't have time for that once we get there. So keep it ready, I'll come and pick you up by 5:30."

"Sure thing. Wait, why're we doing this again?"

Andrew closed the door behind him and stuck his head through the window. "Because the boy is rich and he said he'd pay us. Apparently, he saw me play at the club a few months ago then and came to see me last week."

"How do you know he's rich? "

"He looks like he's in high school, but he made it inside. Illegal I.D, I'm guessing and it has to be a good one to make it in there. Then there was the watch, the clothes, his shoes...trust me I know."

"I was with you that night, how come I didn't see him."

"You were flirting with one of the waitresses. Remember, she blew you off!"

"Right." Steven nodded, thinking to himself. "Bet he'll pay us a shit load of money. I'm calling it... a 1000 Dollars."

Rick dismissed the idea, shaking his head. "He's got some romantic thing planned for his girlfriend. We're supposed to surprise her..." Andrew stopped talking as his phone started ringing.

"That's him...Norman." Andrew cut the call. "Probably calling me to make sure I know the plan. I'll call him back after a while."

"Will you be able to sneak out of work, again?" Steven asked doubtfully.

Andrew nodded. "That's the thing about sales, you can always say you have some meeting with a client and just sneak out. Everyone does it."

The phone started ringing again. "It's my boss, got to go."

"Wait, did you have anything to eat?"

Andrew looked at him, nonchalantly, and said "Yeah."

Steven opened his bag and handed him a sandwich wrapped in a paper towel. "You forget, I am as old as you are. You don't always have to be the big brother."

It was a touching moment for him. He felt proud and happy as he looked over at Steven.

Andrew pulled out the sandwich and broke it in half. Wrapping it back in the paper, he handed over the other half back to Steve. "You forget, I _am_ your 'big brother'."

...

It was late in the evening when Danai exited the subway and made her way towards her apartment building. Her feet was sore from walking in the high heels she was wearing. She stopped for a second as she leaned against a wall to take off her left shoe and rub her feet.

She saw the sweat drip down the side of her head and fall onto her shoe, smearing the dirt on it. She opened her bag and pulled out some tissue paper.

People walking by glanced at her, as she rubbed the dirt of her shoe and then put it back on. She looked behind her and saw that she was at 'Morgan's Park'. Through the railings, she saw someone singing.

...

 _"I LOVE YOU, BAABBY, and if it's quiet alright,_

 _I need you BAABBY, to warm the lonely night._

 _I love you, baby...trust in me when I sayyyy..._

"Rick sang this song to Michonne, their first night in the white house. Christina and Tara heard them, as they walked past the oval office that night." Melissa whispered.

"I know, I read the book too. That's why I chose this song...I knew you would appreciate it." Norman whispered.

 _Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray_

 _Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay.._

 _...and let me, LOVE-you-baby..._

"Will you...let me do some lovin' tonight?" Norman asked quietly. Melissa blushed, and pressed his hands together. They applauded as the singer and the saxophone player finished the song.

"That was incredible." Melissa said happily clapping her hands. The guitarist and the saxophone player accepted the applause and bowed. "You have a wonderful voice" she added to the guitarist.

"Thank you." he replied back.

Norman smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, that was great. Hold on...we'll be right back"

"Sure." He looked at Steven holding the saxophone and handed over his guitar. He whispered. "Get the car started, I don't want to be late to the office."

Norman and Melissa paced back to the bench they were sitting on.

"That wasn't just me being romantic. That was me being me, the Norman you always knew. I really meant it."

"I know. And I meant it too." She said wrapping her arms around him and kissing his neck.

Norman ran his hand through her hair and kissed her forehead. "Give me a sec, alright? Let me pay the guy."

"Where did you find him?" She asked curiously.

"A few months ago, I was at this club. This guy, Andrew, and a few of his buddies were performing on stage. As per the request of a Frank Sinatra fan, he started singing this. And as he kept singing "I love you, baby", I kept thinking about you. That's how I knew. The next day, I broke up with Rebecca."

Andrew stood gazing at the two 'love birds', as they kissed. He checked his watch again, and decided to be patient.

...

She tilted her head to the side, as she watched the musicians play the song. She glanced over at the young couple as they kissed. She fondly watched them, smiling to herself, until it faded away. She lowered her head and sighed in sadness.

Danai turned back around and stared across the street. Her eyes glanced over at the famous Grimes memorial. The statues of Rick and Michonne were sitting on their couch, watching over the city.

...

Andrew Simpson made his way towards the car, smiling to himself having had it happened again.

 _Do I know you?, Have we met? There's something awfully familiar about you. Once or twice he had been told he looks like a younger version of Rick Grimes! Christ!_

As he sat in the passenger seat of the car, Andrew turned around and surveyed the busy streets of Washington city. He glanced over at the famous Grimes memorial that had been constructed 27 years ago, as he stared across the street for oncoming traffic.

It was the statues of Rick and Michonne Grimes, sitting on their couch, watching over the city.

...

Andrew and Steven drove towards Andrew's office, while Danai walked in the opposite direction towards her apartment. They didn't know it was their statues, they didn't know about their past lives. They didn't know it had been over a century since they had shared their last kiss.

They didn't know that 24 hours from now, they were going to meet again, for the first time.

The statues of Rick and Michonne were sitting on their couch, watching over the city, and watching them, as they walked away from each other.

* * *

 **A/N: Anyone else read the name 'Sonny'? *Wink Wink (Guess who?). Next update will be two weeks from now. Until then, wish you a Happy Easter/Weekend.**


	38. Richonne, The Apartment

_**Hello everybody. I was away for a while but now I'm back with the next chapter in the richonne always meant to be saga. Thank you 'Guest' for your review, for the previous the fourth part to the epilogue,**_

 _ **Here is chapter 38: Richonne, The Apartment.**_

* * *

"5000 Dollars!" Steven exclaimed in joy. He took the envelope from Andrew's hand and started counting the money. "I told you...I told you we'd get a shit load of money."

Andrew nodded as they drove back from his office, to their home, with Steven in the passenger seat.

"We're going to need it. I just lost my job."

"What?"

"That's why I had to go back to the office, after the park. My boss wanted to see me. I kind of knew it when he asked me to come back at 7 pm. Everyone leaves by 6; if I make a scene it won't matter."

"Did you make a scene?"

"No. The guy was nice enough to give me my final paycheck in advance. He even said he would write me a recommendation. We shook hands and I left."

"You didn't ask him if you could stay on for a few more months?"

"I don't beg! Never beg! People will lose respect for you. If someone doesn't want you, you shouldn't want them."

"But...why?...was it because of all the 'meetings' you had? I told you shouldn't skip work too much. But no, you have to go help people and their kids. You're not errand the boy anymore. It's always something-

"-Stop...enough!It's who I am. I can't change that part of me...besides it wasn't that. My numbers weren't good enough. I wasn't able to meet my targets. I knew it was coming."

Steven took out his phone and began texting someone.

Andrew groaned "Are you texting, Sonny?"

"Her dad maybe able to help you. Sonny always keeps asking-

"STEVE!"

"-What?"

"We'll be fine. We just need to find more gigs - a party, a show.. We made 5000 Dollars tonight, and that wasn't because of my job. It's because I could sing. It's because we could play our instruments."

"But Sonny could-

"Look if you're worried that you won't able to work on your comic book anymore, you don't have to be. You can take as long an you need in fine tuning your ideas. We'll manage, we've been through worse."

"This is not about that, it's about Sonny wanting to help us...help you."

"She's in school."

"Her parents are the board of directors for one of the top companies in D.C. If she told them, they'd get you a job over there."

"No."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? She keeps telling me you won't ever let her do something for you. And I have to sit there and say it's all in her head. Why do you do that? Why do you treat her differently?"

Andrew swerved the car to right shoulder and stopped. "She's my sister! Nothing is ever going to change that. She's the same to me, as you. BUT I TAKE CARE OF US! And Sonny...she's got a _real_ family.. a mom and a dad who loves her...she's got money, she goes to the best school in the city..she's got a real chance at making it big in life. I'm not going to take advantage of that."

Andrew breathed in and breathed out for a few seconds, trying to calm himself.

"I can't ever do that. I want what's best for the both of you. And as over the top and freaky as your ideas are, the story sounds interesting and I don't want you to stop. One of these days it's going to pay off. I don't know how, but it's going to happen."

"What about you?" Steven asked quietly. "...All the shows and competitions we've been to, I haven't heard anyone sing better than you. I haven't seen anyone play the guitar or the piano as well as you. You've got talent."

"And I haven't given up on it."

"NO!" Steven shook his head. "The thing about writing is that I keep trying to do better. I keep reading other comic books, playing video games because those are the kind of stories that I want to write, and each time I play or read one, it gives me ideas sometimes bigger sometimes crazier. And it may have over the top story lines or grammatical errors. But I keep doing it, to improve. To do better. See that's how you know you love something. But you, you don't care. You hear a song, you watch something and you try it out cause you want to use it somewhere else. If you practice at all it's a few hours before a show. Just in case you need to. 'Cause you know you're going to be great and you are, every damn time."

"What the hell's your point? I do it so we can make more money."

"I haven't seen you write a song, or compose a tune. I haven't ever seen you come back from work take out that guitar and play something. I haven't seen you sit and really listen to an old song... trying to perfect your craft. You just watch it, try it out and that's it! ...I haven't see you work on it - work on your talent. So yeah, you might not have given up on your talent but you certainly aren't doing much about it either. Admit it, you just take it for granted... showin' off and a way to make money on the side. That's it."

Andrew turned his head away and stared out the window, at the vehicles passing by.

Steven reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't meant to hurt you. I'm just wondering...You do everything for me and even Sonny..you still kind of take care of her. And then there are strangers you want to help, because you feel sorry for them or you knew them years ago. You do all these things like everyone's else problems are your problems. But when it comes to _you - you just don't care._ It's like you're waiting or looking...for something. What is it?"

Andrew kept staring out the window for a while and then turned back around to look at Steven. "You want to get some beer?"

"What?"

"Beer! Let's get an 8-pack, some burgers and head home."

Steven sighed at him and then sat back against his seat, folding his arms against his chest. "Sure."

...

Michonne walked and walked and when she was closer to her apartment, she hailed a taxi.

As she got down, she saw some of the tenants exit through the main entrance. It had been a week since she moved back to D.C, and back to the apartment. She waved at them and flashed them a cheery smile, as they greeted her.

She paid 6 dollars and then walked towards the door. The door man wished her a 'good evening' and she greeted him back. He held the door open for her as she walked in.

"DANAI! How did the meeting go?"

Her face brightened at the sight of her 17-year old neighbor. She was sweaty and wearing a sweatshirt and pants. In her right hand was a duffel bag

"The meeting went well. Thank you. Did you just get back from school?" She asked checking her watch.

She frowned and shook her head. "Kickboxing, remember. You saw me leave yesterday, I was wearing my gear."

Danai tapped herself on the back of her head "Oh, right! I forgot. My bad." She grimaced and looked back at the younger girl. "You want to come up for dinner?"

"Sure, but I won't stay for dinner. My folks have this business gathering/party something...BO-OR-RING"

"Okay...But I have left over lasagna!"

"Well in that case..." She replied licking her lips.

They walked towards the elevator and entered. Danai pressed the 'P' button for the Penthouse, on the 32'nd floor.

As the doors were about to close, Danai retrieved something from her bag, encased in plastic and gave it to the girl.

"Mouth guard!" she asked pleasantly surprised; taken aback by the gesture. "So you did remember?"

"Yes, Sonequa." Danai smiled. "And I remembered that you weren't using one."

She blinked at Danai as her face split into a grin "...Thank you.."

The 17-year old Sasha thanked the 25-year old Michonne, as the doors to the elevator finally closed.

"You did help me with the moving in." Danai added as the elevator moved up.

Sonequa burst out laughing "That was a week ago. And two days later you turned my crappy sequence dress into _the_ most beautiful prom dress ever." She stopped to pretend like she was remembering something. "Oh...did I..did I tell you I was crowned prom queen?"

"You mean after your date dropped you off at 1 AM in the morning. Sneaked out of your apartment an hour later, banged on my door till I opened it. And then spend the rest of the morning explaining every little detail of 'the moment'. Yeah, you did."

They laughed together.

"And don't forget the part where you made me breakfast!" Sonequa said excitedly.

"Oh no. I didn't. That's was my favorite part, 'you kissed..uh Kenny.. under the moonlight'." Danai said romantically, the palm of her left hand on her chest.

Sonequa laughed in joy. "It was the best night ever...well except for the prom king not showing up. Half way through Norman leaves with Mellisa...Oh you don't know anything about Norman and Melissa, let me tell you...

They got off at the top floor and walked towards their respective apartments.

"Hold on, I'll get ready and come over. This dinner thing is a big deal, they'll start yelling-" Sonequa raised her arms and waved it in the air and rolled her eyes -"if I'm late. They should be here in an hour."

Danai laughed. "Sure."

As Sonequa opened the door to her apartment, Danai opened hers. It was the biggest in the whole building, with 4 bedrooms and baths. The living room was huge, with hardwood floor and granite paneled walls.

People who had walked through the front door, marveled at the luxuriousness of it. While some even envied it. For Danai, it was a reminder of her past...alone and neglected.

She made her way to the master bedroom and changed her clothes to her comfortable pair of blue shorts and green tank top. She then quickly made herself some coffee and then some hot chocolate for Sonequa, and then opened her fridge. Grabbing the tray of leftover lasagna she put in the oven and heated it.

As she put on her oven mitts, and took it out, she heard the door bell ring. Setting the steaming tray of lasangna on the dining room table she took of her mitts as she looked through the peep-hole.

"Wow!" Danai exclaimed as she opened the door, to see Sonequa in a black velvet dress.

"I know, right" Sonqua replied, 'fanning' herself.

They moved towards the dining room area as Sonequa grabbed her mug of hot chocolate that was already on the table. "Too much cleavage?" she asked pointing towards her neckline.

"No, it's fine. You look great!" Danai said admiringly.

"Thanks." She said cheerfully and then looked around the kitchen. "Most of the kids in this building used to say this apartment was haunted."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean we knew it belonged to someone, but no one ever showed up. Not as long as I can remember."

"Well it belonged to my parents. They...passed away and I inherited it." Danai said with a grimace.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to nosy."

"It's alright."

 _'I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about that part of my life.'_ Danai thought as she watched her.

Sonny lowered her eyes and continued to sip on her hot chocolate. She looked around awkwardly, trying to think of something else.

Danai immediately felt guilty. "Uhmm...what happened to...Norman and Melissa? You were going to tell me about them..." Danai asked, suddenly recalling their earlier conversation.

"Oh...right...well..." Sonequa went on to narrate the high school love story, and quickly lost herself in the inter dynamics of the high school life. Danai listened to it fondly, recalling some moments from her life as well. She had the few friends, she had 'the boyfriend' but couldn't afford the time for the confusion and teenage angst that came with it. She couldn't afford to be the kid, she since the age of 10, had to be a grown up.

"...this is the best thing about having a sister. Growing up my brothers-" Sonequa stopped talking, suddenly realizing who she was talking to.

"Brothers? I thought you said you were an only child."

Sonequa looked down at the table quietly.

Danai detected she wasn't the only one keeping secrets. For the same reason, she decided not to pry.

"My parents..."

Danai looked at her as Sonequa tried to explain herself. "It's okay, you don't have to-"

"No, it's fine...You're different. Not like the people here. You know what I mean, people in our 'society-

-Rich and successful, with a chip on their shoulder?"

"Exactly. We can't afford to be weak or show any. You can't just be have to keep up appearances right?"

"Right." Danai said simply, recounting everything she had to pretend since she had moved back to the apartment.

"You came here that day driving that moving truck, and then opted to move in everything yourself. I saw you through the window and then when I heard the elevator, I was curious. Why would someone living on the Penthouse floor decide to carry her things up here, by herself when they could have hired some one to do it for them."

Danai laughed "I've always been a very independent. I like it that way. But you weren't the only one who was curious. Why would a rich spoiled brat decided to help me?"

It was Sonequa's turn to laugh. "I had to ask you 3 times - May I help you, no seriously I want to help."

"Oh yeah. Well, Sonequa I was wondering why? Why does this pretty rich girl want to help me. Ha ha..but I was wrong, you're a down to eart, wonderful, sweet, beautiful girl, and I'm glad I got to meet you."

"I learned all that from my big brother. He's the guy always helping people."

Sonequa pulled out her phone and showed her a picture of white guy in shades, white shirt with rolled up sleeves and loosened black tie and black pants. He was on stage playing a guitar singing into a mike.

"He's name is Andrew -a sales executive by day, and club singer by night. Works at Johnson's printers. Isn't he handsome?" She asked proudly.

Danai raised her eyebrows, slightly confused, and then blushed slightly at the question. "Yes he is."

"And this is a picture of my other elder brother -Steven. He's 25 same as Andrew, although he's more like my younger brother. Isn't he just cutest."

"Yes, he is." Danai pleasantly surprised, looking at the picture of young Asian guy playing the saxophone, in the same attire as Andrew.

She then showed her a picture of all three on them sitting on top of an old Honda Accord. Sonequa was in the center, her arms around her brothers. Andrew and Sonequa was pointing at Sonequa, wearing their shades.

 _'Wait, have I seen them before?'_ She wondered trying to think back.

"I know what you're thinking, a white guy and Asian guy?"

'No, I'm just curious as to how-"

"-They are my brothers?

"Yes."

"Well, I guess you could say I have everyone. But technically...I'm an orphan."

Danai looked at her, this time a little differently.

"I was adopted when I was 8 years old. I grew up in an orphanage here in DC. That's where I met Andrew and Steven. They were there too. Andrew and Steven sort of brought me up. Well, Andy more than Steve. Right from when I was baby. He and Steven were the oldest there. Andrew was never adopted and according to him, he never wanted to. But Steven did, but he only did what Andrew told him. Anyways when they were 5, there came a couple who wanted to adopt a slightly older boy.

"Couples always want to adopt babies, guess it's easier for them to raise as their own. They can always choose to tell the baby whether they are adopted or not. Older children always know, so they can't hide that from them." Sonequa shrugged.

"So it was a surprise when they wanted to adopt an older child. It was a choice between Andrew and Steven. Andrew was against it. Said he didn't like that they were looking for someone older, but Steven wanted to and so they bid farewell promising to meet each other some time in the future, after they were all grown up. He promised to help Andrew once he got close with his new 'parents'"

"6 months later, Steven came back..." Sonequa started laughing. "I'm sorry, but as sad as it is, it's also kinda funny. Apparently the couple couldn't have any kids and they were heading towards a divorce. They thought having a child could save their marriage, it didn't and Steven came back." Sonequa started laughing again, while Danai tried to control herself, feeling sorry for Steven.

"Steven came back and stayed in bed the whole day crying. Andy joined him in the evening and he laughed and laughed 'telling him his new parents were morons' until Steven started laughing again."

"And that was it for Steven. Andrew became his 'family' that day. Being the oldest, they took care of the rest of the kids that would come in. Some of them got adopted, some of them left when their long lost parents/relatives showed up. While some stayed and grew up. There was a nun, Sister Francis George. She often visited the orphanage and was quite fond of Andy and Steve's relationship. She took them along to church and taught them how to sing, basic stuff really. Andy learnt how to play the guitar. And he sang for the choir. He was a got a lot of attention. Sister Francis said he had an angelic voice. For Andy, he loved the attention." Sonequa smiled and shook her head. "He's kind of a show-off..sometimes. I guess that's his one flaw, and he's stubborn.. but he's got a kind heart, he's compassionate..he's my brother..and I love him."

"Steve was confused as always, but he didn't want to be left out. With the help of Andrew and some others at the church, he learnt the saxophone. And that's how it went for a while, until I showed up in the orphanage. Guess no one wanted me too. For some reason, I never really asked him why, Andy accepted me as his own."

She stopped to laugh again, shaking her head. "He fought with the people at the orphanage about wanting to name me and he did. He called me 'Sonny.'

"Sonny?" Danai asked, who was now completely intrigued by this Andrew.

"Yeah...more of a boy's name I guess but that's what he called me and that was my name. So him and Steven they took care of me. Whether it was feeding me or changing my diapers, well Andrew did that. Steven thought it was gross." She said looked towards the cabinet, recalling her past. Danai saw that her eyes were shining against the light.

"I never felt the need for a family. They were there for me and it was the three of us for a while. But then, when I was 8 years old my 'current parents' showed up. Andrew was 16 at the time, and he was not going to give me up...And I didn't want to leave. But then sister Francis sat him down and told him to let me go...my parents had money, connections...influence. She said they could give me a good future. He was still pissed but he understood. Then he convinced me and that's how I became the rich spoiled brat you see today." She said with a smile and rubbed her eyes.

"My parents didn't like the name 'Sonny'. After I was adopted they decided to go for something fancy and I became 'Sonequa'. He was pissed, to this day...he and Steven have never called me by that name."

"He was protective of me. He wanted to be sure that I was okay. He didn't want what happened to Steven to happen to me. So a few days after I left, he found the address in the orphange's registry and then jumped the gate."

"What?"

"Yeah. He left, came to the city and stood outside _this_ building waiting to get a glimpse of me. I waved at him through the window and then went downstairs. He said he left Steven in charge of the orphanage and came here to watch over me."

"That so..." Danai looked at her speechless, her right hand underneath her chin.

"That's Andy... " Sonequa said proudly.

"My parents they were great. I was treated like...a princess in a Disney movie. They had been trying for so long...they were glad to have me. They wanted me...They loved me. I told him that I was okay and that he should back."

"But he didn't...he just wouldn't believe it, until he did. Of course he lied to Steven to make sure he stayed back. They were providing education... Steven was good at writing...and Andy thought he needed to stay back and get as much as he could. He told him to come and see him after he was 18, when he could leave the orphanage as an adult."

"The police were informed, they found Andy and took him back. But he kept leaving and then they grew tired of the routine, and stopped looking for him. Andy then lived on the streets of D.C, he did odd jobs, and ran errands. He had experience taking care of kids, so as he got closer to people, they started trust him with their kids and they'd pay him, or give him food or allow him to crash in their couch for a few days."

"He sang on street corners, occasionally met up with Sister Francis who gave him money and bought him food when he didn't have anything in his pockets. Every week he would come to see me. He would wait downstairs for me and I would tell my parents a little white lie and I would go and meet with him. He would be buy ice cream, or we'd have a meal together... and then maybe go for an old movie... sometimes we'd go to the park or the zoo."

"For two years he worked hard, knowing that Steven would show up and he needed to be able to look after him. During that time, Andy met a lot of people did different kinds of jobs, there's not a corner of this city or a street that he doesn't know. He even knows a few 'shady' people as well...I guess all of that was part of his life. And God forbid, if someone crossed someone who was close to him, he couldn't just let it go...resulted in a few fights..some he won, some he lost. Even Steven got into a few because of Andy...But no matter what happened, he always protected him. When they were 21, Andrew decided to get a job - as in a real job. He needed a last name, to fill up an application. He liked watching the Simpsons, so he became Andrew Simpson and Steve became Steven Simpson. They went to court and registered their name and all..."

She grimaced at Danai, who looked back at her fondly. "I never got to be a Simpson...but that's my family. I have my parents...that's one part of my life and then I have my real family - my brothers."

Danai took a deep breath as Sonequa finished speaking. "You have a beautiful family..."She paused trying to think of the right words. "Most people aren't lucky as you."

She quickly turned towards the tray of lasagna "I forgot the plates...hold on."

As she got up from the table and got the plates, Sonequa's phone started to ring.

"It's Mom. I guess it's time to go...I'm sorry...Rain-check?" Soneqa asked apologetically.

"Don't be. We can have dinner any time you want. Go..have fun." Danai said with a smile, but feeling disappointed inside.

"I'll see you later..." Sonequa said, giving her quick hug and bolted for the door. She waved and shut it behind her.

Danai stood with her hand raised, staring at the door. The apartment was silent again, as it always had been. She looked down at the food and sat back down on her chair.

She stared at the extra plate and turned it over on it''s front. And then as always, she ate alone in silence. After she was done with dinner, she put the remaining food back in the fridge, washed the plates, cleaned the table and turned off the lights.

She sat for a while in the spacious living room, mentally filling up the sofa with Sonequa, Andrew and Steven. They sounded great, all of them.

But in spite of her imagination, she didn't have anyone to call her own. She felt embarrassed at the thought and it always kept happening to her. Seeing a family or just hearing about them and then she would re-imagine them with herself as a member. Talking and laughing, sharing and caring...

She was 10 years old when she found out she was an orphan. It was in this very apartment, in this very room, when her caretaker sat her down and explained to her. Her parents had adopted her, not because they wanted a child, but because they needed her to complete their 'family.' For 10 years, Danai had grown up in that apartment, with care taker as her companion. She taught her etiquette, she taught her manners, but she never got too close to the girl "because my job is to look after you not care for you", she said to the little heart broken girl, when she tried to hug her.

Her adoptive father was wealthy, but he was spoiled. His father, fearful that he would lose his son completely, made his will on his death bed, baiting his son with the only thing he ever cared about - money. In his will, he stated that the only way his son would receive his inheritance was if he was to settle down and start a family. The money would come in monthly in installments for the first 10 years, on completion of which it would be his.

The son was angered by this, but soon came up with a solution. He buried his father and then made a deal with one of his many girlfriends. They would get married and adopt a child, passing it off as their own. They didn't want to be parents and they did not want to be married. They wanted to be free to do and go wherever they wanted without an 'anchor' to hold them down.

Within their circle of family and friends, they were a happy family unit. But then after the show was over, they were free to do whatever they wanted. At the end of 10 years, they agreed to split the money and then leave to live their lives the way they wanted.

They adopted a baby girl and named her Danai. They took an apartment and arranged a caretaker - Ms. Heather Hemmings, for the little Danai. She grew up in that apartment, wondering why her parents didn't want her. Wondering why they went on separate trips around the world, leaving her alone with Ms. Hemmings. Every six months they'd came back and spent a day in the aprtment with Danai. She would run to greet her parents fresh with excitement, and embrace them enthusiastically.

and they indulged the little girl, not wanting to hurt her. But Danai could feel it, the hesitance to hold her, to kiss her, to walk into her room and ask her how she was doing. Not knowing what it was she blamed herself. _'Maybe there's something wrong with me', maybe I'm doing something wrong..."_ she thought as she lay in bed staring at her door, waiting for her mom or dad to come in and tuck her in.

She studied hard, got good grades. Every time one of her 'parents' called to check in on her, she would tell them of her achievements. They replied with a simple 'that's good. Can you hand the phone over to Ms. Hemmings?'

Danai felt suffocated, she didn't couldn't understand what the problem was. She didn't feel safe enough to talk about it, to anyone. Her teachers noticed that she distracted and tensed. They tried talking to her, but Danai flashed her smile and said it was nothing. How could she say something bad about her parents.

10 years passed by, and soon the man inherited the money. Him and his wife, came back to DC, like returning back from one of their trips and split the entire inheritance. They spent a whole day in the apartment, with their adopted daughter. It was a good day, Danai put aside her doubts and fears and clapped as she watched her parents the first time, they tucked her in bed and kissed her goodnight.

The next day, they were gone before she woke up. They divorced and went off in their separate ways. Ms. Hemmings was given a small portion of the money and the apartment. In return, she was tasked with the responsibility of taking care of Danai, and telling her where she came from.

Danai woke up that day, feeling elated. She ran to her parents' room in the hope of jumping onto the bed and snuggling in between them. But she walked into an empty room and then heard the sound of Ms. Hemmings calling her for breakfast.

Then she was told the truth, that they could no longer stay here as both her parents were gone and Danai was not be seen to avoid questions. Ms. Hemmings moved to her hometown in Richmond. Crushed and feeling more alone than she had ever felt, a sobbing Danai left the apartment and went with her caretaker, never to hear from or see her parents again.

From the best school of D.C, Danai had to start fresh with a new school and new friends in a new town. She found it difficult to let people in, maybe she was scared to. But Danai, wanted it but didn't know if she open herself to people like that anymore. The caretaker as always took care of her needs. She wasn't cruel or angry, she was just doing a job. It was during her mid-teens, Danai discovered something she could all her own. A torn sleeve of her sweater was all it took, but Danai discovered her passion when she first picked up a sewing needle and fixed her sweater.

Ideas flew through her head, she spent nights drawing and stitching her clothes. When she started wearing them to school, the other girls started noticing them and soon they wanted what she could make. Danai did it for free at first and then as the demands grew, she put a price on it. The day she turned 18, she said good bye to Ms. Hemmings and thanked her for taking care of her. With what she had saved, she got a small room and went to work at a local clothes factory. They weren't ready to allow her to work on clothes just yet, so she started with delivery.

Over the time, she acquired contacts and connections, and started learning the business. In between she found time to date, be out there but none of the guys felt right for her. After years of hard work, when she was 23, she started meeting vendors and taking orders. It wasn't big, but she started making money. She had her own business and that was all she had to call her own. She had dreams...ambition...plans to take it forward and make it grow.

The next two years went by in the blink of eye. Danai had done good business and was starting to develop more customers. One of them was Jen-Kay, which prompted Danai to think about moving back to D.C. It was during this time that Ms. Hemmings passed away. Her lawyers called her one morning and informed her.

Danai didn't know how to feel. The woman was the closest thing to a parent she ever had. Yet, the woman never really cared. She looked after her 'because it was part of her job'. Danai was sympathetic, she knew the old woman did not have family. She went to her funeral and buried the old woman. Having said her goodbye, Danai went back to her life, as she planned for the next phase of her business.

A few days later, she got the call from the lawyers again. Ms. Hemmings had left 50,000 Dollars and Real Estate property in her name. Turned out the property was the apartment.

A few weeks later, after having completed her commitments in Richmond, she sold her 2'nd hand car and moved back to D.C, back to the apartment.

As Danai sat back on the sofa, in the spacious living room of the apartment, she quickly reminded herself that she had a long day tomorrow. The material was cheap as Mrs. Jenkins said. She had 8 weeks to deliver the an entire clothing line up, with best material she could acquire. The money she had wasn't enough to cover her investment. She needed over 700,000 Dollars and she knew how to get it.

The problem was that she only had tomorrow to arrange the money. The day after was Wednesday - when they agreed to meet and sign the contract. Jen-Kay would take ownership over her designs and her clothing, and they would pay her a million dollars for it. Leaving her a tidy profit of 300,000 Dollars. Leaving room, for Mrs. Jenkins to offer her a permanent position in her company.

Danai still couldn't believe it, how far she had come. And now she had the resources to acquire the money. Before moving to D.C she had transferred her funds to a bank in D.C. Her bank balance showed an amount of 72,345.55 Dollars. And now, she could apply for a loan, using the deed to the Apartment as collateral.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow, indeed. Danai got up from the sofa and headed towards her room. She took off her clothes and then went in to the bathroom, for a quick hot shower. As the water sprayed down upon her, she closed her eyes trying to relax.

 _'Just one more day. You can do it.'_

She toweled herself dry, dressed and then got back into her bed. As she lay against her pillow, pondering over tomorrow, her eyes darted towards the door. _'No one's coming in...no one's going to tuck me in.'_

She turned to her side and saw the street light stream through her window. She fondly recalled Sonequa talking about Andrew, about he waited to see his Sonny.

 _'And no one's waiting out there for me, wondering if I'm alright. It's all on you, girl. It's you against the world.'_

 **The Next Day**

"You got a job?" Sonequa exclaimed in joy.

"Yeah..!" Steven proclaimed proudly. "Wait, you sound surprised."

"No, I'm happy for you."

Andrew groaned as he watched an episode of the 'Simpsons' on T.V.

They were in Andrew and Steven's one bedroom apartment. Sonequa had come over after school, to see her brothers.

"It's not a big deal, I'm just flipping burgers and it's going to be all night shift." Steven said modestly.

"Yeah, but it's still a job. I'm proud of you." Sonequa hugged him.

"Thanks!" Steven said warmly.

Andrew opened a pack of cigarettes and took one out. He stepped out through the window and onto the fire escape.

Steven rolled his eyes and grimaced at Sonequa.

"I'll talk to him." She assured him.

She walked over to the fire escape "move over!" she commanded. Andrew quickly put out the cigarette, not wanting to give his sister any second hand smoke. He shifted to his right, making room for her to sit.

He was dressed in a grey sweat shirt and cargo shorts, and wearing a pair of slippers.

"Damn it Sonny, do you have to wear such small skirts?" he asked irritatingly, pointing towards her violet skirt that reached up to her thighs as she sat down.

"It's a Jen-Kay! and it's not that short! Besides it matches my black top." She said playfully.

Andrew shook his head, disapprovingly.

"Come on, Steven's just trying to be like you. You won't let me help you, at least let him."

Andrew looked down at the street in silence. "How are things at home, with your parents?"

"Stop it! You always do that...I'm going to talk alright... and you're going to listen..."

...

Danai was starting to panic. It was close to 4:00 PM and she still didn't have the money.

The bank had formalities, even with collateral security it would take time for the loan. She was a nobody as far as the bank was concerned. She needed a reference, someone to vouch for her. There was also an appraisal system for the real estate property in question.

She used all her contacts, but they couldn't arrange for the amount she wanted. She was out of luck and out of options.

She tried meeting with Mrs. Jenkins, in order to ask for a few more days. She considered lying to her, but the woman would be smart enough to show her the money first before it came to signing the contract. When Danai met with her, she couldn't bring herself to say it, the woman kept talking about how excited she event was already being planned, Danai even met with her daughter - Sarah Jenkins, who was organizing the event. 27, attractive and one of the top socialites in town. She shook her hands and said she was looking forward to it. Danai nodded along as Sarah talked about the kind of entertainment they were planning. From doing fahsion show, to music, dancing, "it's going to be THE party event of the year!"

It was 5 PM and Danai still didn't know what to do. She kept walking through crowded streets, not knowing where to go or whom to ask. She wanted to scream, she wanted to yell at the world, for how unfair it was being to her. Instead Danai kept walking, thinking, trying to find a solution.

What she needed was access to someone with money, someone like a loan shark. Some one who operated outside of the law. But even she found one, they wouldn't just trust her and hand over the money. She would need someone to introduce her, someone who knew them. Some one like that would be hard to come by, someone like that would have to know this city well, someone who knew the streets...who had grown up here...some one like...

...and that's when it her -' _Andrew Simpson.'_

...

 **6: 10 PM**

"Sonny! Everything okay?" Andrew said, as he picked up his phone. "Did you reach home?"

"Almost...lot of traffic. Listen, I just got a call from a friend...and she needs to a favor."

"Which friend?"

"There's a friend of mine, Danai Lawrence-"

"You've never told me about this friend." Andrew replied quickly trying to remember.

"I just met her a week ago. She recently move here, stays across the hall. She's my neighbor."

"Okay...What's the favor?"

"She just needs someone who knows the city pretty well. She's a business woman, but she's really really nice. I like her a lot-"

"-Okay, Sonny I get it! What does she want?"

"She needs someone to take her around the city. She wants to meet a few people, you know, as part of her business."

"So you want me to be her travel guide."

"I want you to help her, because she's my friend and I really really like her. And you're my brother and I trust you can and will help her. She's really sweet, not like some of the people here. She really cares, Andrew. I'm talking about a genuine, down-to-earth, hard working person. Oh, did I mention she's totally hot? And by hot I mean she's beautiful, sophisticated and she's got class! Not like the trashy ones you meet in those clubs." She added with a smile.

"Hmmmm...why is this starting to sound like a date? Are you setting me up on a date?" Andrew asked playfully.

"You'd be lucky if you ever managed to take her out on a date." She teased him.

"Oh, really? Do you know how many girls-" Andrew bit his tongue and closed his eyes.

"Wait! What was that? How many girls?..AAAndyyyyy.."

"You were tellin' me about your friend."

"Oh now you wanna talk about my friend?"

"Yes, please."

"Fine. I'll text you her number, call her. I got to reach home, change and go out again with Dad and Mom. Another business party or something. And be nice to her!"

"Okay, I'll be nice."

"Love you, Andy."

"Love you, too honey. Bye."

...

 **6:30 PM**

"I'm going for work." Steven said quietly to Andrew's back, as he watched T.V.

There was no response from him. Disappointed, Steven turned around and headed towards the door.

"You wanna lift?" Andrew asked him, without turning around.

...

Danai kept pacing the living room, waiting for the call. At first, she was hesitant about calling Sonequa. She wasn't used to depending on someone else. But as time passed by, she had begun to feel desperate. Finally. she pulled out her cell phone and called her. All she wanted was his number. She didn't want to take advantage of Sonequa's trust or of the information she had shared about Andrew's past. But Sonequa had insisted that she'd call her brother. "Trust me. It's better coming from me."

So Danai simply said she needed help getting around the city.

Now, time was passing by quickly and Danai was beginning to get antsy. _"Why hasn't he called yet. If he had said no, Sonequa would have called me by now. Which means he didn't say 'no'. So why hasn't he called yet?"_

...

 **6:55 PM**

Andew pulled over at the fast food restaurant and waited as Steven unfastened his seat belt and opened the door.

He looked sideways at Steven and then looked at his arms, as he was about to leave the car.

"Wait." Andrew removed his wrist watch and put it on his brother's hand."Keep that phone in your pocket. You want to know the time, look at your watch. It's easy to get distracted when you stare into that thing. So keep it on silent and take it out when you have a break or something. Also, pay attention to everything your boss tells you. Be respectful, but don't be intimidated. That's how you win their respect."

Steven smiled at Andrew and hugged him. "I thought you were mad at me."

Andrew patted him on his back. "I wasn't. I just thought you deserve better. But I understand why you're doing this and I appreciate it. Thank you, for wanting to help out."

"Now, don't go soft on my, Andy." Steven replied back, and exited the car.

"Good Luck." Andrew waved at him.

'I'm a Simpson. I don't need luck." Steve replied back with a smug grin.

Andrew watched him as he entered the restaurant and then sat back on his seat. He took out his phone and then looked at the text again.

...

 **7:10 PM**

"Hello?" Danai asked, anxiously.

"Hello...Am I speaking with Danai Lawrence?" said calm soothing voice.

"Yes, Yes..this is Danai here."

"Andrew Simpson."

Danai breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Simpson, Thank you for calling me."

"You can call me, Andrew."

"Right." She laughed nervously."Andrew, I'm sorry for bothering you like this. But I was talking with Sonequa, I mean-"

"-You sound tensed."

"I'm sorry."

"You sound tensed, like you're really worried. What is it?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't want to waste your time, but I also need your discretion."

"Uhm...okay."

"Can we meet? Somewhere, outside."

"Wait! hold on a sec. What is this about?"

"It's about..money. I need a certain amount of money and I need it by tonight. I was hoping that you might know someone-"

"And where did you get that idea?"

Danai bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "Can we please meet. I think it's better if we can tall face to face."

She waited patiently, hoping he wouldn't disconnect.

Andrew sensed that something wasn't right. He could almost hear Sonny's voice 'Be nice to her...she's a friend'.

After a few seconds..."Where are you, right now?"

"I'm at my apartment. I could come-"

"No. If it's alright, I'll come over."

Danai paused, hesitantly. "Okay. Do you know the address?"

"Yeah."

"I'm on the 32'nd floor. P -102. I'll tell doorman to let you up."

"Okay."

"If you don't mind, can you tell what time?" Danai asked carefully, not wanting to sound rude.

She could hear him smile as he said "I'll be there in 1/2 an hour."

"Great. See you then."

...

 **8:30 PM**

 _'He's not coming'_

Danai looked at the clock again for the hundredth time and then turned back to the T.V.

Sick of waiting, Danai had resigned herself to watching T.V. Surfing through channels, she came across an old movie called 'Love and Dancing'. Another cheesy rom com, with a dance competition in the mix. In fact, she was beginning to question some of the character's motivations and choices. Clichéd and stereotypical, Danai wondered why was she still watching the movie.

...

Andrew drove down the lane, looking for a parking spot. He gazed up at the building and then turned back to see an empty parking spot. Slowly, he turned the car and parked it.

He proceeded to exit the vehicle and the looked up at the building.

...

The movie was nearing it's climax, the lead pair was walking onto the dance floor for the finals. The stage was set, the competiton was on, the guy on the microphone was asking the audience "are you ready for our final couple?"

The audience clapped and cheered.

The character Jay whishpered to Jessica "Can't beleive it, I didn't do anything stupid."

A confused looking Jessica looked at him "What does that mean?"

The announcer called out their names "Put your hands together for Jay Mitchell and Jessica Donavan."

"It means I'm in love with you" Jay whispered back to her, as she looked at him breathlessly.

A reluctant smile spread across Danai's face as she saw the scene play out.

The lights came on, and then the music and then they began to dance.

...

"Andrew Simpson" he gave his name to the door man.

"Yes sir. Go on up. Miss Lawrence is expecting you.

He walked through the lobby and reached the elavator. As the doors, Andre stares at his reflection and cringed.

He was wearing a full sleeved white shirt with creases all over, untucked. His jeans looked like it hadn't been washed in a year. His face was unshaven and he looked half sleepy.

...

Danai could help but be swayed by the music. It was mix of jazz and lounge music. It started off slow, and then picked up.

It was romantic and yet fun.

The couple moved into their final spin, holding onto each other.

" _You're my ladyyy.. You're my lady.."_ the singer sang repeatedly as the couple danced together, so much in love so much in joy. The music was infectiously upbeat and wonderful.

The smile on Danai's face was starting to broaden, she started shaking her head to the music.

...

As the elevator moved onto the 32'ND floor, Andrew did his best to look at little more presentable. Finally, he stepped out of the elevator.

He looked towards his boots and quickly wiped them on his shins.

" _You're my ladyyyy...you're my lady.."_

Andree turned his head to the music. It was coming from the apartment P - 102

 _'Robert Bradley - BlackWater Surprise'_ he thought.

He walked forwards towards the door, turning his head towards Sonny's apartment.

 _'She's probably with her parents, at that dinner party.'_

Finally, he was at the door. He raised his hand and rang the doorbell.

...

 _"You're my lady!"_ the song ended, the dance was over and the couple kissed as the crowd broke into a tumultuous applause.

'Ding- Dong' the bell sounded.

Danai was pulled back into reality at the sound of it. She quickly turned off the T.V and turned towards the door.

She jumped up from the sofa, quickly surveyed the living room to check if anything was lying unscattered and then headed toward the door.

She looked through the peep-hole and saw him, standing with hands on his hips, stating at the floor.

...

Andrew looked up as the door opened.

A black woman appeared, holding open the door.

"Hi" he said "I'm Andrew."

"Hi, I'm Danai" she said smiling at him

It had taken 135 years, but Rick and Michonne had finally found each other.

* * *

 _ **A/N : And that's how they met, again, for the first time. Have a nice weekend, everybody. Next update will be two weeks from now.**_


	39. Richonne,Just makesure youdon't look hot

_**Hello everybody. Sorry I've been away for a while. Rick and Michonne have been standing at that door for quite some time now, haven't they? So let's begin the next chapter. Thank you blkpunk311 and Guest for your reviews. Here's the 5'th part to the epilogue, chapter 39: Richonne, Just make sure you don't look hot.**_

* * *

Andrew looked up as the door opened.

A black woman appeared, holding open the door.

"Hi" he said "I'm Andrew."

"Hi, I'm Danai" she said smiling at him.

There was look of joy and relief on her face as she stared back at him.

 _'Woah!'_ was Andrew's immediate thought as he looked at her admiringly. Flawless skin, brilliant brown eyes that held his gaze, straight black hair styled to a pixie hair-cut, with a tuft of it partially covering her forehead.

She stood before him bare-footed, wearing a grey pencil skirt that reached up to her knees, clearly outlining her fabulous figure. The sleeves to her white shirt were rolled up to her elbows, but the shirt was neatly tucked into the waist band of her skirt.

"Come in." She said moving aside and opening the door further, gesturing him in.

Andrew glanced over at the luxurious apartment with it's very expensive-looking silk carpeting. Somewhere near the sofa lie a pair of silver colored high heels.

He looked down at his grubby boots and then repeatedly wiped them on the door mat.

"It's okay, come in." Danai assured him.

Andrew looked up at her and then put one foot over onto the carpet. As he stepped forward, he saw the grimy imprint left behind by his boot.

He looked up, embarrassed. "You know what, I'll take these off."

"No, Andrew it's fine." She insisted gesturing him inside. "Come on in." She said trying not to laugh.

"I'll take these off." Andrew insisted and quickly stepped out of them. He immediately regretted it, as the stench from his socks hit his nostrils.

Danai tried her best to keep a straight face, trying to act like she couldn't smell it. But he saw her nostrils flare, and her attempt at holding her breath.

Andrew grimaced. "Why don't I take these off as well." He said, pointing at his socks.

That turned out to be a bigger mistake, his smelly socks were the result of his smelly feet.

Danai closed her eyes for a second taking a step back. Andrew quickly tucked his socks away into his shoes. His mind wandered over his disheveled self - the dirt and grease on hands, shirt and pants.

He quickly looked at her, half expecting a look of disgust on her face. But Danai continued to look at him, as politely, with a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry." He quickly said. "I had car trouble on the way. That's why I was late."

Her face broke into a genuine smile. "Like I said, it's okay. Come on in, Andrew. Please."

Andrew walked bare-foot into the apartment. The central air condition was on and the apartment was extremely cool, in spite of the hot evening summer.

As Danai shut the door behind her, she tried to ignore the stench of sweat emanating from him. How many times had she walked into a meeting, or seen a client after running half mile because she could afford a taxi. Now that she could, she did it only to keep up appearances. Sweat, stench and dirt were the byproducts of the hard life.

"Is there somewhere I could wash up?" He asked turning to his side to look at her.

"Sure. There's a rest room down the hall." She pointed towards the archway the led to the dining room.

Andrew nodded and quickly headed towards it.

"Would you like something to drink? Orange Juice? Coffee?"

Andrew thought about it a second and then "Water should be fine. Ice cold!"

"Of course." She said

...

 _'She's seems nice.'_ He thought as he walked towards the restroom.

His conversation with Sonny ran through his head.

 _"Hmmmm...why is this starting to sound like a date? Are you setting me up on a date?" Andrew asked playfully._

 _"You'd be lucky if you ever managed to take her out on a date." She teased him._

Andrew smiled and shook his head thinking of how he must have looked to her as she opened the door. _'God, I stink.'_

He quickly opened the door and walked towards the tub.

"Damn!"He exclaimed, with a smile.

...

 _'Shit! Shit! Shit!'_ Danai thought as she finished pouring the water into the glass.

She was in a hurry this morning and she had left a pair of panties and her bra in the bathroom, Andrew was in. She had opted for hand wash to save time, and had simply hung it on the side of the tub.

Danai cringed in embarrassment, as she put the glass onto a tray.

 _'Maybe he won't notice them'._ She told herself, unconvincingly.

...

Andrew tried not to look at bra and panties as he stepped into the tub, rolling up his jeans. But they were hanging right there and they looked sexy as hell. He could almost imagine them around her firm tight body.

He looked at them again, then scolded himself _'Stop staring at them you creep!'_

He looked around the tub and saw some shower gel. Quickly pouring them into his hands, he scrubbed his feet.

Finishing up he stepped out of the tub and wiped his feet on the bathroom mat.

He then stood at the sink and washed his face. And then ran his wet hands thought his hair pushing it backwards. "Okay. Just be cool. She asked you to come here. She needs your help. So relax."

He walked towards the door and unlocked it. One hand on the door handle, Andrew turned back and looked at Danai's black bra and panties again, one more time.

 _'I'm such a loser!'_ Smiling to himself, Andrew opened the door.

...

Danai was sitting on the sofa waiting for Andrew, telling herself not to blush when he walks back in.

Andrew did not want to cause her any more embarrassment. He walked back in as if nothing had happened.

"Hey" He said, giving her his most charming smile.

She couldn't stop herself, biting her lips she gave a restrained smile and lowered her head.

And then Andrew did the same, placing his hands on his hips.

"Black's my favorite color.' Andrew added cheekily.

This time Danai couldn't help it. As embarrassing as it was, Danai let out a suppressed laughter, followed by Andrew's sly grin.

Danai looked back at him, smiling, as if she was seeing him for the first time. The shirt and the jeans may have been a little dirty, but Danai couldn't help notice how handsome he looked, especially now as she was him under the light, standing upright.

His hair was wet, and pushed back over his head almost reaching down his neck. His soft curls, his blue eyes, his rugged jawline, his innocent smile. He looked like a mix between a really handsome actor and a rock star.

He looked lean and strong in his shirt and jeans. His white shirt with blue lines rolled up to his thick forearms. Two of his buttons were open giving her a peek at his chest. His blue jeans were still rolled up to his knees.

She looked back at him and then realized she was staring at him, and he was still standing.

"Sit down, Please." She gestured towards the single-seater sofa in front of her.

"Right, Thanks." Andrew sat back down and looked at her.

She got up from the sofa and pushed the tray with the glass of water forward. "Are you sure I can't get you anything else?"

"Uh, no. The water will do." He said and drinking the water, clearly thirsty.

She placed a bottle of water in front of him and he drank some more.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Andrew placed glass back on to the tray and looked at her. "You didn't ask me to come here for the water and snacks, right?"

"You're right. I'm sorry, I was just-"

"Trying to be a good host. Thank you. I appreciate it." Andrew said good-naturedly.

"But I think it's time you told me how I can help you!"

Danai went onto explain her business deal with Mrs. Jenkins and that she needed 700,000 Dollars, for which she can provide the deed to the apartment as collateral.

Andrew listened carefully, trying not to let his mind wander as he looked at her. He couldn't explain it but he felt connected to her, like something deep inside him was reaching out to her.

Andrew wasn't the only one feeling this way. Danai herself could sense something in the air, something between them that she couldn't explain. And she felt surprised by it. Given her past, Danai always found it difficult to trust people. In fact, to this day, she couldn't recall anyone that she trusted completely. But something about Andrew was different, he felt like someone she could trust.

His sincere blue eyes, his somber expression as he sat listening to her.

 _'Easy girl! You don't know him.'_

As Danai finished, Andrew sat back against the sofa and simply looked at her, like he was studying her.

"Sonny doesn't talk about me and Steven or her past. I've told her not to. Apart from you (who she met a week ago) two of her best friends knows about us and her. And she's been friends with them since she was 11. And I've met them. Now since I am sitting here, I guess she did tell you about us and her."

Danai looked back at him nervously. "...Yes, she did."

Andrew nodded back at her. "So given my background, you think I'd know a 'loan shark'?"

"Mr. Simpson, I'm not trying to insinuate anything."

"It's not about me Ms. Lawrence. It's about Sonny. I'm very protective of her."

Danai could understand that accusative tone, in his voice. "I understand and I assure that is not why-"

Andrew looked around at the apartment and at her. "Obviously, you have money. So why don't you ask you parents or an uncle to lend you some. I'm sure you don't have to go through this much trouble."

She looked back at him at a loss for words. It would have been easy to lie to him, but something told her not to. "It's...that's difficult to explain."

Memories of her childhood and her teenage life in Richmond flashed through her mind. The uneasiness, the shame and sorrow. The lies she had told her friends and the people she had met.

"It's a private matter and...I don't really like talking about it." Danai said uncomfortably.

 _'Maybe I should just tell him. He's an orphan, he'd understand. STOP! You just met him. I know he seems like someone you can trust, but information is power. You open yourself like that to him and he may use it against you. You can't every trust someone like that. It's you against the world, remember?'_

Danai folded her arms against her chest and sat back and looked at him.

"I'm sorry" He quickly said. "I'm not trying to upset you. But you got to look at things from my side. You just got into town, you met Sonny a week ago. That's all I got to go on...and for the kind of money you're looking at..well..that's a lot of money."

"I understand. You don't know me." Danai answered back.

"Yeah...and for the amount you're looking at and the time frame you want it in, there's only one person in the city. Now, I know this person but I'll have to vouch for you. I mean really vouch for you."

Andrew sat back up on the sofa and looked at her. "This person is going to want to know everything about you. Your background, you financial situation..things like that."

"But I'm offering collateral."

"Yeah, and here's the thing, and this person may or may not bring this up. What if you're a con artist? You move into town, you have an apartment and it's a big ass, expensive apartment. You invite me in so I take a good look at the place. Then we meet this person and you provide the deed as collateral, but the deed is fake, and you want the money tonight! What if you skip town?

Danai widened her eyes at the accusation. As hurtful as she felt, it did make sense.

"Do you see what I'm getting at Danai? That's what I meant when I said earlier that I'm really going to have to vouch for you. This person knows me, trusts me, I think I can convince her."

"But now you want me to convince you?" Danai asked him.

"Well..all I have is Sonny's word. She said you're a friend and that she likes you. But Sonny's a kid!"

Everything Andrew said made sense. But Danai wasn't willing to share things from her past to him. After all, they had just met. And like Andrew, all she had was Sonny's word about him.

"What would you like to know, Andrew?"

"You met THE Sally Jenkins. I'm sure she could've provided you with a good reference, for obtaining a bank loan. It certainly would have been easier than all of this."

"Yeah, and she probably would have asked all the questions you just did. And that's the last thing I need with someone I'm going to work with. Besides this is my responsibility, it's my business. I can't just approach her after having her agree to do business with me. How does that make me look?"

"Sounds like lottta ego."

"It's self-respect!"

Andrew and Danai eyed it each a little more carefully this time.

 _'Can't blame here. I'd done the same thing, if I were in her place._ _If this whole thing was a con, she would have been trying to convince me. She would have gotten emotional or tried to play the 'orphan' card. Especially knowing what she knows about mine and Sonny's past. That would have been easier for her. No, she isn't getting emotional, she's not trying to convince me, she's getting angry...because everything she's saying is true and she doesn't like to expose herself like that...to seem weak and vulnerable.'_

 _'Just tell him...he's an orphan. He knows what it's like. Things will go a lot smoother. You don't have to tell him everything. Just that you're adopted and you don't really have anyone now. But it isn't any of his business! You don't owe him an explanation. They are other options you can look at it. But he's trying to help me. If I want the money by tomorrow, he is my only option. Okay, I'll tell him I'll-'_

"Can I see the deed?" Andrew asked all of a sudden.

"Huh?"

"The deed, to this apartment. You have it right?"

"Of course, yes, I can show it you."

Danai went to her room and got the deed. As he looked through it he asked. "You'll need an ID."

"I've my driver's license!"

"That should do. And, take some pictures of the apartment. The living room, the rooms, the bathrooms. Better yet I'll take the pictures. I'll need to be in them."

Danai looked back at him, surprised.

"What?"

"Are you saying you'll help me?"

He smiled at her. "Well, that's what I'm here for."

He saw a look of relief pass on her face. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Andrew." He heard the genuine sound of warmth and gratitude in her voice.

They looked at each, their eyes, their face, their bodies - something was there. It was more than a feeling, something they couldn't explain but that 'something' was there.

"Thank me after we get the money."

They proceeded to take pictures of the apartment, after Danai made sure that none of her clothes were hanging around in any of the rooms before showing the pace around to Andrew.

After they were done, Andrew laid down the rules. "This is what we're gonna say. You are a client of mine. I sold you a printer once for your office in Richmond. That's how we know each other. So what we have here is professional relationship, sounds a little more credible."

Danai nodded in agreement.

"The person we're going to meet is Samantha Fisch. She's in her 50's and they call her 'Momma Fisch"

"Momma Fisch?" Danai asked again to clarify.

Andrew shrugged at her "Just go with it."

"Who is she? How do you know her?"

"Sonny told you, about my past?"

"Yes." She said uncertainly.

"It's okay. I'm not ashamed of it. Growing up on the street, you meet a lot of people. She was someone who lost everything and everyone in her life, in an accident. To fill the void in her life, she started helping kids - street kids like me. Basically helped them out and in return she got their loyalty. She became everyone's momma. The trouble was she started using them to get things done. She too started a business, the money lending business, with whatever money she had. Gained a reputation and people started approaching her. Of course, if you didn't pay on time she'd sent one of her boys to 'talk' to you.'

"Oh." Danai asked, taken aback.

"Yeah. So make sure you do pay on time."

"Yeah. Of course."

"One day, one of her boys stole my wallet. I found him and we got into a fight. I broke his nose, he gave me black eye, but I got my wallet back. When momma Fisch heard about it, she came looking for me. I thought she'd be mad, turns out she was impressed, wanted to adopt me. I said no, but I told her that I'd be grateful if she gave me a job. There a few kids she was taking care of and I offered to baby sit. She agreed and I did that for a while. She look a liking towards me, but I didn't want that kind of life. Threatening people, hurting them...I couldn't do that. When I was 18, I managed to get a few jobs, real jobs. I used to sing at street corners when I was 16. Momma Fisch helped me out. She got me a few gigs at these clubs. It paid the bills, my brother Steven he helped me out to...

Danai listened in wonderment. It was incredible the things he had done to survive. She was working at the clothes factory, after she was 18. She didn't have to live on the streets like Andrew but she could relate. They were alike in so many different ways.

"Anyway we parted way after that. After a while I got an office job and..."

 _'Don't tell her you got fired!'_ He heard the voice in his head.

"...and that's how I know her.'

"That sounds remarkable. I mean, the part about how you made it so far. Sonny told me about the things you've done for. I just want to say that I think it's very admirable."

Andrew ran his hand through his hair with smug grin on his face. "Yeah, well she's family. You'd do anything for your family right?"

Danai thought about it "...right."

"So, we're going to tell momma Fisch that you recently moved to Washington and you want to make large investment in your business. But you need this money by tomorrow."

"Yeah, and that's the truth."

"Uh-huh, but she's going to want to know why I'm helping you - exposing that part of my life to you. Which means we might have to go one step further with our story."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to tell her that I reached out to you and when you told me about your problems, I suggested this option."

"But why? I mean why would you reach out to me? We have a professional relationship, like you said."

"Which brings me to the final part of our story - I have a 'crush' on you!" Andrew said as casually as he could.

Danai folded her hands and looked at him with a smile on her face. "I beg your pardon?"

"No...no, no, no." Andrew said waving his hands at her, blushing slightly. "We're going to tell her that. And this whole thing was my idea, to help you...to impress you. This way we avoid unnecessary questions about your past and your family. You said you don't like talking about it right?"

"...Riiigght..."

"So when I tell her this, it becomes about me."

Danai looked at him, incredulously, clenching her lips. "O-h..kay.."

"Hey, I'm trying help YOU!" He said a little defensively.

She immediately raised her hands apologetically "I'm sorry. Yes, you're trying to help me. I get it!" She nodded. " You have crush on me." She couldn't stop herself, she started laughing again and lowered her head.

"WHAT?"

"Nothing!" She quickly stopped smiling at adopted a more serious expression. "Nothing. I swear. So what happens now? Do we go see Momma Fisch?"

"Yeah. But let me call her first. And..." he stopped to look at her clothes. "Do you mind changing into something more..uh..casual. We're going to have to go to the West side. With the way you're dressed-"

"What wrong with my dress?"

Andrew gazed over at her legs and her figure in the pencil skirt. ' _Damn those legs'_

"There's nothing wrong with it, but it's very..very...

 _'HOT! I can't say hot. What's another word for hot that's not going to sound like I'm coming onto her?'_

"Professional" She offered.

"Yeah! I mean you're going to attract a lot of attention. We don't want that, especially where we're going."

"Okay. No problem. What do I wear?" She asked him, in genuine concern.

Andrew shrugged at her "I don't know? What do you wear casually? I mean keep it simple."

"How about Jeans and a T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers?

"Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don't look hot-" Andrew stopped talking and looked at the floor. "I'm going to make that call." He got up from the sofa and walked towards the main door, too shy to make eye contact.

Danai watched him as he walked away, a comical expression on her face. She quickly got up and walked towards her bedroom.

 _'What the hell is wrong with you? Get it together! She's Sonny's friend, for Christ's sake.'_

Andrew made the call and then waited for Danai to get ready.

She walked out wearing a green sweat-shirt and back jeans. "How do I look?" She asked him.

"...Fine."

"Not hot, right?" She asked playfully.

Andrew looked at her, his lips curling into a smile. "Right." He shook his head.

Danai nodded back at him. "Okay."

As he turned to open the door, she asked him. "Andrew..."

He turned to look at her. "I really appreciate what you're doing. Sonequa, I mean Sonny, she said...I asked her if... well you don't really have to do this. You're taking time out to help me, some one you just met. I can't imagine you're doing all of this just for Sonny. What I'm trying to say is...and I don't mean any disrespect...but..."

"You're wondering if I want something in return?" Andrew asked her quietly.

"Sonny said not to offer you money. But like you said she's kid and we've to look at this practically. Is there anything I can help you with? If it's not money...have you had dinner? I could make something-

Andrew grinned and looked at her "-I'm here because Sonny said her friend needs help. But since you brought it up...when we get back, I might or may ask you something."

"What? You can tell me, now."

"Let's get the money, first. Then we'll talk."

He looked at her as she stood before him, a curious expression on her face "Ready?" He asked her.

She looked at him as his eyes brimmed with playfulness and concern "Yes." She said, gratefully.

Danai grabbed her bag and Andrew rolled down his Jeans from his knees to his foot.

They stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind them. After over a century, Rick and Michonne headed out for their next adventure.

They just didn't know that it was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this one. Please do leave your thoughts and reviews. The next chapter will be up in 2 weeks.**


	40. Richonne, The Sound Of Music

**_When we last left our heroes, they were on their way..just kidding. Thank you Guests for your reviews. As promised, Rick and Michonne are on their next big adventure. As always, things don't go exactly as planned. Here's the 6'th part to the epilogue, Chapter 41: Richonne, the sound of music. (This was supposed to be a very long chapter, I decided to cut it short, so will have the next chapter soon.). Until then..._**

* * *

"So, where're we going?" Danai asked uncertainly, as they drove through the streets. She turned to her left, from the passenger seat to look at Andrew.

"We're going to a...certain _.._ part of the city. Momma Fisch has this club. She ' _acquired'_ it very recently. That's where she's running her operation, now. I haven't seen her in a while, so I had to reach out to another friend of mine to get her number."

"So you talked to her?"

"Kind of. I just said me and my friend would like to come to her club. It's better to talk business face-to-face."

Danai nodded, nervously. 'Momma Fisch', her 'operation', all of this was starting to sound a little scary.

"Hey.." Andrew turned to his side to look at her, one hand on the steering.

"Everything's gonna be okay, okay? You won't be alone." He assured her, like he could read her mind.

She looked at him, his reassuring smile. His face brimming with confidence and sincerity. It felt good to hear him say that. To know that he was in her corner. To have someone to trust.

"Okay." She answered back.

Andrew had a sudden thought. "Is you're boyfriend okay with this? Coming with me, this late."

 _'Very smooth!_ _'_ he heard a sarcastic tone in his head. _"This girl's got you off your game'_

She saw a shy smile across his face as he turned back to look at the street.

 _'He's fishing! What do I tell him? That I haven't been laid in a year!'_

"I've been busy with my career for a while, now. So no boyfriends."

 _'Got the message. Okay, no more boyfriend questions. Ask her something else, she'll relax a little more.'_

"So how long have you been doing this? Making clothes and stuff?"

Danai mind was busy forming images of Momma Fisch, when she heard Andrew's question. "Uh...well I started when I was 18. I started working at this factory. I'm from Richmond, by the way."

"Oh wow! So you always knew what you wanted? I mean you figured it all out when you were 18?" Andrew remarked.

She chuckled. "No. Not at all. You can't plan your life out. I certainly couldn't. All you can do is be prepared. And I did everything I could to be prepared."

Andrew looked at her, as questions flew through his head. He had never thought of it like that. For him it was always about the 'plan'. And all his plans were based on Sonny and Steven.

But as far has his life was concerned, he didn't know how or where to begin.

"So you started working at this factory?"

Danai pulled on her seat-belt as she back, thinking back to her past. "I had a driving license, so they put me in delivery. As far as they were concerned, I had zero professional experience. Driving was something they could trust me not to screw up. I just had to drive. But the thing is delivery is the best place to start learning the business. You learn a lot about the inventory, production, lead time for production, pricing you meet a lot of vendors. I did that till I was 21. In that time I learned a lot, not just business part of it. The production, designs, it fascinated me and I loved it. The thing about production, there's a lot of material that goes to waste. I took it, practiced everyday - a lot of sleepless nights. They finally agreed to give me a shot at production, and I was able to show them that I had a flair for it. There was a manager there, Mr. Henderson. I showed him my designs, I convinced him that I could handle production - stitching, sewing, handling machinery... "

Danai couldn't believe how far she had come.

"When I was 23, I had saved enough money, acquired enough contacts and knowledge to start something on my own. Mr. Henderson agreed to partner up with me. The next two years, we did a lot of business, made a few more contacts and that's how I got in touch with Jen Kay, met with the Sally Jenkins."

Andrew listened admiringly. _'Wow! Just look at that...look at that...the rich girl decided to work at a factory! Even now after everything she's achieved she's still working hard. She in this car with you now, again doing everything she can. Going after what she wants. ... She's kind of incredible! What the fuck are you doing with your life, Andrew? Why can't you ever do something like that?'_

"How did you know?.." he asked her. "...that this is what you wanted to do?"

She shrugged at him. "I came home from school one day, and saw that I had torn one of the sleeves, of my sweater. I picked up a needle and a thread and tried to fix it...and I did and that was it."

"That was it?" He asked her curiously.

"Yeah..ideas flew through my head. I started drawing. I worked on few of my clothes. The other kids in school saw that and they wanted clothes like mine. I did for free at first, then started charging them."

Andrew laughed admiringly."Must have been nice, a little extra pocket money along with allowance you must have got from your mom and dad!"

Danai didn't say anything. She knew how it must have sounded. She didn't blame him. Considering everything he had seen, it was easy to assume who she was - rich girl with a passion and dream. If only things had been that simple.

"What about you, Andrew?" She asked him equally interested.

Andrew blushed at the question and chuckled. "Nothing too flashy."

"Sonny said you sing...Actually, I think I saw you yesterday...in the park?"

She saw him frown in confusion as he looked at the side-view mirror and took a left.

"Really? You were there?"

"I was passing by. I saw you with the guitar and another guy with the saxophone - that must have been Steven, right?"

"Yeah..." he looked to his right, at her. "Small world, huh?"

"I guess so. Actually, I didn't know it was you, until I saw you today."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure."

"Well that's me..I sing...how much did Sonny tell you? About me and Steven."

"Quite a bit." She chuckled.

"I sing. I play the guitar, piano. I sing at parties, clubs...do a lot of stuff...things like that."

"And now you work in an office."

Andrew shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah...singing is a part-time thing."

"Have you always wanted to do that?"

He shrugged in response to her question. "I started at a young age. Everyone says I sound good. And you get a lot of attention. I mean I've seen old clips of these professional singers work crowd. I can just mimic the style of any singer, or adapt to the tone of any song I want. So before a performance I plan a few moves and then when I'm up there on stage, BAM! It's just timing, you got to do on the fly, most of the time. But I can always read the crowd, I know what they want and just go for."

"Sounds exciting!

"Yeah, it is.."

"I sense a 'but' somewhere in that statement."

"No. I sing and Steven backs me. Then there are a few more of my friends, depending on the kind of venue we are playing at. We make a little money on the side and that's it. There's nothing else to it. No 'buts'"

"Oh." She said. He couldn't help hear the sound of disappointment in her voice.

"I mean, it's not like anyone's doing anything. People are still listening to old songs, watching the same old movies. It's not like there's an opportunity to do something new."

"Hmmmm."

"What..?"

"Well.."

"What..."

"It's just that...considering everything you've done, for Sonny and Steven. How far you've come. The hardships you've faced and yet be who you are...I think you can do better."

Andrew didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry. I'm not being judgmental. I just really think it takes a remarkable person to be all that you are. Now, I haven't heard you sing. When I saw you in the park I was standing a little far away. But considering your experience and everything you've told me, you have figured it all out - the singing, the performance. You can play the the guitar, you can read the crowd. Personally, I think you need to be really confident about yourself and your skills to get up on a stage and perform. You know people - you have people skills, you're kind and ready to help people, you're resourceful and you can certainly make an impression-"

"Ha ha...sounds like I'm not the only one with people skills."

She laughed. "That's not what I was doing...I just think you're a great guy." She averted her eyes, gulping nervously.

"Really? You think I'm great guy." He turned to look at her with his charming smile, plastered across his handsome face.

"Yeah... I think so..."

She looked back at him, smiling, gazing across at him from the passenger seat. _'Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous? And that voice, I can totally imagine him singing. Bet he drives a lot of girls crazy. Wonder if he's single? Stop it! Stop it! you don't have time for all of that. What is wrong with you? You meet him and all of sudden you're acting like a love struck teenager. This hasn't happened with you before? Nervous and coy! This isn't a date! Remember why you're doing this. Don't lose focus._

"I don't know...maybe I don't have it all figured out." He finally said.

"...Or...maybe, you're just waiting for something." She added.

Andrew recalled something Steven had said yesterday, when they were driving back from the park.

 _"I'm just wondering...You do everything for me and even Sonny..you still kind of take care of her. And then there are strangers you want to help, because you feel sorry for them or you knew them years ago. You do all these things like everyone's else problems are your problems. But when it comes to you - you just don't care. It's like you're waiting or looking...for something. What is it?"_

"What?" He asked her, all of sudden, sill keeping his eyes on the road.

"...inspiration." She replied.

He turned again to look at her. _'Who are you?'_ He wondered.

"We're here." he said as he slowed down and slowly parked the car.

Danai stared out the windshield to see a fancy two-storey building. The sign outside read ' _ **All Niter'**_

There was a long line in the front, where three big rough looking guys stood outside, in jackets and jeans.

"Woah." Andrew remarked, clearly surprised.

"I thought you said to wear something casual."

"Yeah...I thought so too. This place used to be a dump."

"How long ago was that?"

"6 months...I'm sorry. I haven't been here in a while. Shit!"

"Can we get in there?"

"Yeah, I called remember. Look I'm really sorry. I haven't been to this part of town in a while. This is a rough neighborhood. That's why I asked you to wear something casual. Trust me, if you were wearing what you were wearing earlier you would have stood out."

"But what about those girls?"

"Yeah..." he said apologetically.

"But-but..."

"I know... Look." He turned to look at her. "Danai, this neighborhood... this is where I grew up, when I was living on the streets. Before Steven came to live with me. You know how they say, Rick and Michonne saved the world and made it a better place. Better than it used to be - before and after the apocalypse? Well, not everyone fits in that world. So they end up in places like this. I was one of them. But I didn't want to be here, so I worked my ass off to get out. Everything illegal in this city, happens here, in this neighborhood. The police, they don't interfere as long as everything remains within this area."

"What do you mean by illegal?"

"Gambling, prostitution, betting... The rule is 'no murders'. That would attract too much attention. The new world order remember, better world, better people. So they stick with breaking legs or arms. But no murders!"

Danai was starting to feel a little scared. "But I haven't heard of this. These are things that used to happen before and during the apocalypse.

"Yep. And the apocalypse was the limit. A lot of people died and then the worst of the worst survived. But then Rick and others got rid of them, saved the world. But the thing is shit always happens. You haven't heard of anything like this, because it happens in the big cities. And like I said, no murders. So things remain quiet. Besides, new laws are strict about that kind of thing. Zero tolerance for murderers.

He turned to look out the windshield. "This side of town belongs to Momma Fisch. This is her attempt at polishing up this place. She acquired this recently. I didn't know, cause I left... I kept away for a long time now. When I called, I heard 'club' - I thought it might be a bar with a karaoke machine. I didn't think it would be...this.."

She sighed at him. "Do you think it's safe to go in there?"

"...No, I don't. But for the kind of money you're looking for, and you want it by tonight, this is the only way I know. And Momma Fisch - I know her - and she's an honorable women. She's got a code and she'll keep her word. I know that. So that's why I brought you here. If she lends you money then I guarantee you that she will honor the terms of whatever agreement you reach. It's only if you go against those terms...well that's when you see the bad side of her."

 _'What have I gotten my self into?'_ She wondered.

"Listen, Danai. I said I'll help you, and I'll do everything I can. But you don't have to do this. This kind of money lending...It's not exactly legal...This is black money, unaccounted. This is her way putting money to use and avoiding taxes at the same time. You're not part of this world and it's best you keep away from it. There's always going to be another business opportunity. This deal you have with Jenkins, it's not the going to be the only one."

She remained silent as she thought about what he had just said. "Maybe...But if I go in there and get that money then I don't have to wait for another opportunity. And this deal, I'm not going to get something like this again. Not this big. I have been working for this since I was 18. One more night and I might able to achieve everything I've been working towards for the last 7 years."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She replied back, looking into his eyes. He saw the steely resolve and then nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's go."

She unzipped her sweat shirt to reveal a beige T-shirt underneath it. "I'll leave this here. Might as well be a little more presentable.'

He thought she looked cute in her pixie hair cut, t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.

They unfastened their seat belts. Andrew reached for his wallet and pulled out a few hundred dollar bills. "Leave your hand bag in the car." He said as he opened his glove compartment and quickly put his wallet away. Danai wouldn't have noticed it, but her eye just happened to catch it. The handle of a gun, hidden away among other items in the glove compartment.

When the apocalypse had ended, and the world was building itself. The secretary of state Michonne Grimes, and the UN President Maggie Rhee had decided to enforce stricter gun control. Maggie had even given a big speech about it in the UN, to various representatives of different nations. Apart from the police, civilians were not allowed to carry or use a gun. It was part of the new world order, an attempt to reduce acts of violence and anarchy. Any and all guns that existed after were registered and tracked. In the rarest of the rarest cases, courts were allowed to grant a civilian to use a gun. But it involved approvals from several state departments and then a fianl approval from the president's office. Non-Government sanctioned guns and weapons production was outlawed and anyone found possession of a gun was considered as non-bailable offense, heftily fined and severely punished . All in all, the only way to even see a gun was in the museum, movies or on the belt of a police officer. It was another part of the new world order and something everyone knew. It was practically impossible to actually get a gun.

So when Danai saw the weapon, her instincts immediately told her that something was off.

"I'll keep my bag with me." She quickly said.

Andrew looked at her, almost curiously. "This place may look all fancy, but this neighborhood is still the same. Just give me the deed to apartment, keep a little money on you and leave the bag in the car."

"No. I think it's better if I hold on to it. Besides, I'm gonna have to talk to Momma Fisch, right?

"Uh...you don't have to. I can talk-"

"No, I want to." She said with a tone of finality. "I'm the one who has to make the deal, so I think I better hold on to all of my ' _cards_ '" She smiled at him nervously.

Andrew looked like he was about to argue back, but then he shrugged and got out of the car. He pressed on the central lock as she closed the door behind her. They looked at each other and made their way towards the entrance. The long line of entrants sneered at them as they walked past them, toward the main door.

Danai moved a little closer to him.

 _"I'm going to tell her that I reached out to you and when you told me about your problems, I suggested this option."_

 _"But why? I mean why would you reach out to me? We have a professional relationship, like you said."_

 _"Which brings me to the final part of our story - I have a 'crush' on you!" Andrew said as casually as he could._

 _Danai folded her hands and looked at him with a smile on her face. "I beg your pardon?"_

 _"No...no, no, no." Andrew said waving his hands at her, blushing slightly. "We're going to tell her that. And this whole thing was my idea, to help you...to impress you. This way we avoid unnecessary questions about your past and your family. You said you don't like talking about it right?"_

 _"...Riiigght..."_

Recalling the plan, Danai wondered if they should hold hands and instinctively turned to look at him, as they neared the three hulking doorman.

But Andrew gave no such indication. He kept his eyes peered on the men and the line of people on their side.

"Back of the line, sport. Wait your turn like the rest o' everybody.." One of the doormen threatened menacingly.

"Check the names Andrew & Danai - special guests of Momma Fisch, _sport!_

The hulking man scowled at him, and then turned to the doorman who checked the list.

"Yep - special guest of Momma. That's what it says here. But it only has the name 'Andrew' on it." He raised his head and looked at Danai.

Andrew immediately put his right arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "She's with me."

Danai was caught off guard by the sudden act of possessiveness. His fingers were firmly wrapped around her shoulder, and oddly it felt comforting.

She looked back at the doormen with a smile one her face, as calmly as she could. She raised her left arm and put it around his wait, softly touching his side. "I'm with him!"

Her soft touch was almost ticklish to Andrew. He tried to keep a straight face, trying hard to stare the big guy down.

"It only says Andrew." The doormen argued back.

"And Andrew says he's got a plus one. Now are you gonna let us in or am I - the special guest - gonna have to call Momma out here to sort this out?" Andrew asked back.

The three hulking doormen looked at each other and then moved aside for them to pass. One of them opened the door and they were immediately hit by the smell of air fresher, smoke, and the sound of deafening music.

Once they were inside, Andrew let his arm fall to the side and Danai did let go of his side. They smiled awkwardly at each other and looked around.

The time was 10:30 PM, so the club wasn't completely crowded. The walls were adorned with lavish designs and speakers. The red-yellow lighting set the appropriate ambiance. The club was bigger than in looked from outside. There was a dance floor in the center and tables (without seat) set around it. A few people were on the dance floor, while the rest stood around the tables drinking, smoking and talking whilst enjoying the entertainment that was on full display on the stage, right in front of the dance floor. The speakers boomed 50 cent's Candyshop, and the people on the dance floor swayed to it.

The VIP seats were located far towards the wall. A small set of staircase led to a higher platform where the seats where located, from the dance floor. There were seated couches encased in lavish leather with tables in between. There were a total of 8 VIP seats. The stairs were roped off by red velvet, with two guards on either sides. There were other guards placed in and around the club.

There were waiters going around serving customers, taking orders. The bar was located to the far left side of the entrance. The bar stools were already full.

"Where is she?" Danai asked him.

"What?" Andrew asked moving closer, straining to listen.

"Where-is-she? Momma Fisch."

"Let's sit down, first." Andrew replied.

"Where?" She looked around the crowded floor.

He moved close to her and spoke into her ear "We're special guests, remember?"

Andrew smiled at her, "Come on." He navigated her through crowd and walked towards the VIP area. The guards looked at their attire. "Keep walking, pal."

"Check the names - Andrew & Danai, It should be under 'special guests of Momma Fisch'." Andrew said smugly, as Danai stood behind him.

The guard saw the name on the list and didn't say another word. He immediately unfastened the velvet rope and guided them to their table.

The rest of the seats were taken. A couple of rough looking men, with women by their side, sat at each table, looking at Andrew and Danai as they walked by.

The women had expensive clothing and jewelry, but looked trashy. Danai could already imagine what they were thinking as they stared at her casual attire.

As they reached the table, she was surprised to see a tiny little name board on a table for four. "Andrew & Danai."

Andrew quickly sat down on the couch against the wall. There was an air of arrogance and ownership about him. He motioned her to sit next to him. As soon as she did, a waitress appeared out of thin air.

"I'll have a beer...and you?" He turned to Danai.

"Club soda. No wait, make it orange juice." She spoke to the waitress.

"Would you like a twist of vodka with that, ma'am?"

"No. Just Orange juice." She said clearly, thinking to herself _'This isn't a date! I'm not here to have fun. I'm here for business.'_

"How about something to eat?" Andrew asked her. "We haven't had our dinner yet."

Danai looked at him, incredulously. "I asked you if you wanted something, before leaving the apartment."

"I wasn't hungry then. I'm hungry, now. What's the big deal?

"Nothing!"

"Are you telling me your not hungry?" He asked skeptically.

"Uh...no -I mean, yes. I'm a little hungry."

The waitress rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated over their banter. _'How many do I have put up with before this night is over?'_ She wondered.

But she had to smile and wait. This was the V.I.P section, and they were V.I.P. Although, she had to admit, they didn't look V.I.P

Danai noticed the waitress and quickly turned to her. "I'll have a sandwich."

"Me, too. Do you have turkey?"

"Yes, sir. We do."

"Great! Two Turkey sandwiches..make it a large sandwich., and don't put those toothpick sticks on them -OH...AND two plates of fries."

"Actually, the sandwich will be fine for me." Danai quickly said.

"...actually the two plates fries are for me..." He grinned at her.

"Oh...Right." She blushed. "Sorry."

"That will be it. Thank you." Andrew said to the waitress.

She excused herself and hurried away to get their order.

"It's on me." Danai said quickly.

Andrew laughed in response and looked at her. She was sitting close to him, her knee slightly touching his. Her arms were folded across her waist.

"I mean, it's the least I could do. You're here doing me a favor." She added sweetly.

"Sure, no problem." He responded back, with a smug tone.

" YO YO YO! HOW'RE YOU ALL DOIN?" The DG asked through the mike, to resounding cheer from the crowd. "Y'ALL HAVING A GOOD TIME?"

"YES! YEAH! WOOOOO!"

"ARIGHT THEN! As promised we will have a live performance, TONIGHT! Y'all heard of CUCUMBER TOWN?"

There was another resounding cheer from the crowd.

Danai looked at Andrew questioningly.

"They are a local band. I know them, nice guys. They'll be playing here tonight. Probably walk in through those doors, when everyone's least expecting it. The lead singer Bobby - him and I used to sing on the streets. It was a long time ago"

"Oh. Okay."

Hey, Danai.."

She turned to look at him.

He leaned forward and smiled at her. "Relax! It's gonna be a while before we see Fisch. First those guards are going to inform her that her 'special guests' are here. There's a camera right above us - DON'T LOOK! She will take a look at us, and when she's ready she's gonna call me inside. That's when I'll give her 'our story', if she buys it, she'll ask to see you."

"Okay. I understand." She nodded.

"So you know what you're going to tell her?"

"Yes, Andrew." She spoke more confidently this time. "Whether it's a night club, or a board room, business is business. I've sat through enough meetings to know what to say and what not to say."

"That's more like it."

The club started to get crowded as more and more people arrived. They glanced around at the many hedonistic activities in and around the club, trying not make judgement. On occasion they saw a few people being escorted out of the club, some too drunk to stand, and others that got too rowdy. Prostitutes fished around for business, or a free drink, while couples fought, broke apart of made out.

In the VIP section, the rest of the V.I.P's kept looking and Andrew and Danai. She noticed that some of the men were starting to make eye contact with her. Danai avoided their gaze and moved closer to Andrew.

"So how'd you rate cucumber town?" She asked him.

"Huh?" He asked suddenly, breaking his gaze away from a girl who was twerking on the dance floor.

"I'm sorry did I disturb you?"

"You know, you use the word 'sorry' a lot. This is like the 5'th time you said it tonight."

"Right, so-I mean...I was just wondering about Cucumber town.."

"Hey, I didn't come up with the name. That's all Bobby."

"Are they good?"

Andrew took his time to answer. "Well...they're okay. He's a friend."

"But you don't think they're good."

"That's not what I meant. I just think they are very predictable."

"How so?"

"Well you get on stage, you have to be able to read the crowd. You have to be able to surprise them. With him, it's the same stuff again and again. I mean he plays it well, and his band is good...You design clothes right? And the Jenkins lady liked you stuff, because your designs stood out. So you went up against professional designers who've probably been supplying them for years and yet make an impact."

Now Danai was really interested. "Right..."

"Well, Bobby and his band keep playing the same stuff again and again. There is no variation in the songs or in the overall performance. They stand there, go a little crazy with the guitar, head bang and make the rock star pose. Bye bye, thank you! I mean with a name like Cucumber Town, you expect something wacky and funny. But they want to stick to Genre which is fine, but there is no room for being a little creative."

"What about you? What do you call your band?"

"It's just me and Steven, but we kick ass!. As for our name...well you can already guess.."

"The Simpsons?" She asked him

"Yeah. Occasionally we get a few of our friends to join us. Depends on the gig. I mean, there was this one time we had to sing at this teenage girl's party. It was a client's daughter...she was 14 and she had just discovered Britney Spears."

"Oh my God. Don't tell me..." Danai said, already grinning.

 _'Give me a sign..._

 _Hit me baby one more time!'_

Andrew sang to her, as she imagined him and Steven singing to a screaming bunch of 14-year old girls.

She covered her mouth as she laughed, finally coming to a halt holding her waist.

Andrew laughed with her "Hey, I think it's a fine song. But when you have to sing that thrice in a row, you kind of get sick of it."

"The point is, with the name 'Simpsons' the idea was that people would think about the T.V show. You never to expect with each episode, but you know you're going to be surprised. It might be a spoof episode, a celebrity guest appearance, even the opening the credits...the one where they gather around the television set, it always something different. It's the same thing with us. We might play heavy metal, an old classic from the 60's or the 2000's, hit me baby one more time. We're flexible that way. We can adapt to any style singing or any kind of song. You can never predict what we're going to play, or do when we're up on that stage."

"That sounds interesting. And the name 'The Simpsons' is smart business." Danai remarked. "It is easy remember, it's catchy, a nice call back to one of America's most popular and long running T.V shows, so there's a little bit of nostalgia..."

"Exactly!"

Pretty soon the waitress brought their food. Andrew was very hungry. He gobbled down the sandwich in a hurry and then started with the fries. He finished his bottle of beer and asked for another one. She smiled to herself as she watched him. It wasn't that he didn't care about how he looked. He was hungry and he was enjoying his food. Danai could never do that. She felt too insecure to even try it.

Danai ate her food in small portions. She chewed with her mouth closed and swallowed quietly. She sipped on her orange juice, bit by bit. Ms. Hemmings had ensured that she follow the basic dinning etiquette, no matter how hungry she was. It was part of her job.

"Jesus! It's just a sandwich, just eat it already."

Danai waited to swallow her food, laughing to herself. "This is the way I've always eaten."

"You don't have to do that with me. You're not in the company of royalty or anything like that. I'm just one of these people...you know...the common folks!"

"Hmmm...maybe. But here we are at a fancy club, in the VIP section. That wasn't because of royalty, but because of one common folk. So I tip my hat to you, sir!

Andrew shrugged ..."Yeah...welll..." He gave her his most charming, yet smuggest grin of all, clearly flattered. There was something endearing about it.

"Momma Fisch must like you a lot." Danai asked casually.

"Ha ha..you sound jealous!" He remarked, teasingly.

"Woah! Where did that come from?"

"I'm just calling it as it is."

"Which iiisss...?"

"Really? You don't feel it? This thing between us."

She blushed and burst into a hearty laughter. Andrew thought she looked absolutely adorable, when she started shaking her head and said "NOOOOO!"

"Don't deny it, Danai. Just feel it." He said grinning at her.

"Ha ha.." Danai turned her head back to the food. ' _Awww honey, I can play tooo...'_

Andrew turned on all the charm he could muster "There is something between us. Something that I can't explain, but-"

Danai placed her glass of orange juice on the table, and turned to look at him. She leaned forward, keeping her eyes on him. Andrew looked at her, clearly surprised.

But Danai simply leaned across to grab some of his fries and then leaned back. She raised hand to her mouth and started eating the fries, one bite at a time. "You were saying."

Andrew gaped at her, before blushing sightly and nodding to himself.

"Those-those-those are my fries." He said pointing at her as she ate them.

"I though you were talking about ' _us!'_ " Danai replied back, as she sat facing him. She raised her left arm and placed in on the head of the couch, her right hand rested casually on her thigh. She softly tapped his right forearm. "Come on, _Andy_ , don't stop now... tell me more..."

"What's the point? You're not feeling it.

"Hmmm...No, I'm not."

He turned to look at the dance floor. "Dance with me. If there's nothing there, it should be obvious when we start dancing."

"I thought you were a singer."

"You can't just get up on stage and sing through a mike, and expect the crowd to be entertained. You got to be able to bust a few moves. And the thing about dancing is, you can't hide who you are or how you feel."

"So you want me to dance with you?"

"Well, you don't want me to think that you're ...jealous. Do you?"

There was that smug grin again. He was baiting her, and Danai knew it. But she was feeling it, the rush of adrenaline...the innocent flirtation, his charm, his wit, the excitement of being nearing him...the thought of dancing with him.

The lights around the club were flashing, the song had changed. The catchy beats of Kevin Lyttle's 'Turn me on', pumped through the speakers, all around the club.

 _For the longest while we jamming in the Party_  
 _And you're wining on me_  
 _Pushing everything_  
 _Right back on top of me_

He stood up from his seat and looked at her, waiting.

 _But if you think you're gonna get away from me_  
 _You better change your mind_  
 _You're going home..._  
 _You're going home with me tonight_

He extended his rand hand towards her. He was looking at her, intensely into her eyes, no longer playing, no longer smiling.

 _Let me hold you, girl, caress my body_  
 _You got me going crazy, you_  
 _Turn me on, turn me on_  
 _Let me jam you, girl wine all around me_  
 _You got me going crazy, you_  
 _Turn me on, turn me on_

And Danai was looking at him, silently, engulfed in the sound of music all around them.

She reached out with her left, and took his hand.

* * *

 **A/N: Here we go...here we go...**

 **(All songs mentioned in this chapter belongs to the respective artist, mentioned along with the song. I hold no copyright or any kind of rights over it. I'm just a fan!)**


	41. Richonne, yeah, we're good!

_**Thank you Guest, Guestz, Chicklet 123 and Trinity 71, for your feedback. Glad you enjoyed that but things are about to get a bit serious. Here's the 7'th part to the epilogue and chapter 41: Richonne, Yeah, we're good.**_

* * *

She reached out with her left and took his hand.

Danai got up from her seat, straightening her T-shirt, smiling at him.

Her pulled on her hand, lightly, as he took a few steps back.

That's when they a noticed a woman walked towards them.

The woman whispered something to Andrew.

He turned around and let go off Danai's hand, and looked at her with a regretful smile. "Momma Fisch is ready to see me." .

They looked at each other, with a sudden realization of why they were there.

"Oh...okay." She grimaced at him. "Let's go."

"She asked to see _me._ She'll want to catch up and I will explain the situation, run our little story." He winked.

"Right, I'm your client and you have a crush on me. You're helping me out to impress me." She said with a straight face, blinking at him innocently.

"...Yeeeaaaah...She's gonna seem like a really sweet lady, but she's not. Trust me. When you speak to her be confident and but respectful."

"Got it."

"Okay, I'll be back soon...And...He turned around to look at other V.I.P's, "If anyone offers you a drink, don't take it. In fact, don't make eye contact with anyone."

"You know, you're starting to sound like a protective boyfriend"

He ran his left hand through his rugged jawline. "...Finish your orange juice. I'll be right back."

"Sure... Whatever you say."

Glancing at her one more time, Andrew turned around walked away with the bouncer, who was waiting for him a few feet away.

Danai sat back down, trying to focus on the task at hand. But she couldn't help but smile to herself. ' _Stop it!'_

She finished her orange juice and signaled for the waitress."Will there be anything else, ma'am?"

"Just the bill, thank you."

"Oh don't worry it. It's on the house." She said with a smile.

"I'm sorry?" Danai asked, wondering if she had misheard.

"You are our special guests, so no charge. Those were my instructions"

"Oh, I see..well.." Danai reached for her handbag and quickly searched for her wallet. She looked at the hard working waitress with hair pulled back neatly into a pony-tail, in her rad strapless dress tightly wound around her body that barely reached her thighs.

"...Thank you for a wonderful service." She said, handing over a 100 dollar bill.

The waitress smiled gratefully and took the bill from her hand. "Thank you, ma'am. That's very kind of you."

"...and sorry about earlier. Andrew, the guy I'm with,...we were arguing about eating at home and made you wait.."

"Oh, no. It's fine...It's all part of the job. Please, I wasn't trying to seem impatient..."

The poor girl look worried. "Hey, it's okay" Danai assured her. "I'm not complaining. What's your name?"

Then waitress smiled at her. "It's Lauren..."

"Well, nice to meet you Lauren. My name is Danai." She extended her hand to towards her.

Lauren looked at her, pleasantly surprised." Nice to meet you, too, Ma'amm." She said warmly as she took her hand.

"You can call me, Danai."

Maggie shook hands with Michonne, as the two old friends met again for the first time.

"I should get back..." She said apologetically.

"Of course. Don't let me keep you."

"Please feel free to call me if you need anything-and-" she turned to the table a few feet away. "Watch out for that guy, she pointed towards a good looking man. He was sitting with his friends and a few other girls. Their table was full with bottles, food and cigarette buds. They were brash, and noisy.

"When I was taking an order from them, that guy was talking about you. He was saying 'he wants that...P-U-S-S-Y..'and he was pointing at you. He's bad news that guy." She said shaking her head in disgust. "It's okay. You're in the VIP section, so he's not going to try anything, but avoid...don't even look at him. You don' want to give him an excuse to come over here."

Danai looked at him for a brief second and then turned to the pretty waitress. There was a look of fear and loathing in her eyes as she looked at them.

"Did he put his hands on you?"

Lauren looked back at her nervously." I should really get back to..."

Before she could turn away Danai reached out and gently caught her arm. "Hey, it's okay you can tell me."

"He's a VIP. Any one else and we can call one of the bouncers. V.I.P's we can't offend them. We can politely smile and 'move away' if they try anything."

"Andrew knows Momma Fisch. I'll talk to him and maybe he can talk to her-"

"-No. I appreciate it Danai, but it's not going to change anything. If it's not this guy, today, then it's going to be some other asshole, tomorrow. It's all part of the job." She shrugged with a smile.

Danai "At least let me talk to Andrew."

"No. It's fine. I don't want any trouble. In fact I know Andrew. A few months ago. I was waitressing at this club earlier and he was singing there. He's got a friend too right? Steven...plays the saxophone " She grinned, remembering something. "He tired to ask me out that night."

"Who, Andrew?" Danai asked quite aggressively.

"NO! No, no, no, no" Lauren raised her hand defensively. "Steven...Steven asked me out."

"Ohhh." Danai smiled awkwardly. _'You're starting to act like his girlfriend! What the hell is the matter with you?'_

"Right, Steven. So what happened?"

"I...I said no. I mean thought about it...but I'm really not in a place to date. I got two jobs and sick parents in the hospital. Between that and work. I hardly have time for sleeping...Jesus! I better get back to work."

"Lauren...if that guy tries anything-"

"-Thank you! But don't worry about it. I'll manage."

With that Lauren cleared the table and walked away.

 _'And I thought I had it tough!'_ Danai thought as she watched her leave.

She sat back against her seat and looked around her again. Once in a while she looked up at the security cam, wondering when she was going to see the Momma Fisch.

All around her people danced, drank, smoked, and other activities to ensure that they had a good time. Things were starting to get a bit boring for her.

The table next to her's started to get louder and rowdier,as they kept finishing the bottles on the table. The guy and his friends were teasing people around them, and then he turned to Danai and tired calling out to her. She ignored him and kept her face turned away, avoiding any eye contact.

They signaled for the waitress again, pointing at Lauren.

She saw Lauren heading towards the V.I.P area, squeezing herself through the crowded floor. Danai kept her eyes on her, worried that something was going to happen.

That's when the main doors opened to a resounding 'question'.

 _"You readddddddyyyyyyyyyy?! Let's go!"_

CUCUMBER TOWN had entered the building. And just as Andrew had predicted, Bobby and his band came in singing _Remember the name_ by Fort Minor, with a mike in his hand, making quite the entrance.

A resounding cheer reverberated throughout the club. The bouncers rushed towards the Bobby and his band, trying to clear the way towards the stage.

 _Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about_  
 _It's like this y'all, c'mon!_

The crowd started cheering and pumping fists in the air. It was chaos and commotion. Even Danai was momentarily distracted as she watched them walk by. Bobby had long hair and tattoos on his neck and around his right eye.

She quickly turned around to look at Lauren.

She was trying to move back, smiling, as she tried to push his hands that were firmly up her skirt grabbing her butt. His friends were starting to join in on the 'fun'.

Danai got up from her seat and looked towards the bouncer that was guarding the stairs to the VIP entrance. But he was too busy pushing back the crowd to notice.

She turned around to look at Lauren and suddenly felt a rush of anger. Without thinking too much, she rushed forward and slapped his hand as hard as she could. The man let go of Lauren's thighs, in shock, wondering what who it was.

Giving him a look of disdain, Danai grabbed Lauren's arm. Turning around she walked her back towards her table.

"Are you, okay?" She asked in concern.

Lauren grimaced at her and shook her head. "Thanks."

The man was starting to feel embarrassed. His friends and the girls around him started talking about how Danai had dissed him.

Drunk, infuriated, and wild he got up up from his seat and stomped his way towards Danai and Lauren.

The girls turned around and immediately took a few steps back, as they saw his imposing 6'3 height and muscular body frame.

"BACK OFF!" Danai yelled at him, in anger and fear. But no one could hear her in the commotion and the excitement.

He made a grab for her neck, but Danai tried to slap it away with her left hand. So instead, his fingers wrapped around her left forearm pulling her closer towards him.

"FUCKING CU-"

"-HEEEY!" an angry voice yelled at them.

Danai turned to her left to see Andrew run towards them. The man let go off her hand and moved towards him, raising his left to form a fist.

But Andrew was faster. Using his momentum he ducked the punch, quickly positioning himself into a boxer's stance, and threw a hard right into the man's sternum.

Grunting, the man buckled backwards in pain. Not giving him any time to recover, Andrew used the same momentum to throw a hard left upper cut right underneath the man's chin.

The man's lost his balance and fell back onto the glass table, breaking it under his weight.

Glancing around for Danai he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. He turned to see all four of the man's friends walking towards them.

 _'Shit!'_ Andrew swore.

A few people had turned around to see what was happening, while the rest were still engrossed in the live stage performance.

As the four men neared him, bouncers rushed in between them and restrained the men. Feeling relived Andrew turned around to look at that man, who was now starting to stir.

"You, okay?" He asked anxiously.

Danai was still staring down at the broken glass table, on which she and Andrew had their dinner barely an hour ago.

"Hey!" He snapped his fingers in front of her face.

She raised her head and blinked as she looked into her concerned blue eyes, still looking shocked.

"Danai?" he called again, this time gently holding her arms.

"Yes!"

"Are you okay?"

She nodded holding her breath.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She said swallowing hard.

Andrew turned to see the four of them being restrained and escorted out of the club. The man on the floor had opened his eye lids and was looking around, trying to focus on his surroundings.

The bouncer that was guarding the stairs to the VIP entrance, slowly helped the man to his feet.

Danai put her arm around a mortified looking Lauren, who was standing with both her hands covering her mouth.

"It's going to be okay. We'll talk to Andrew and then we can talk to Momma Fisch-

"-NO! Don't, please. You'll only make it worse. Let me just get back to work." She pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Danai looked at her sadly and then rummaged through her hand bag. "Here's my card. You call me in tomorrow, okay? I know people. Maybe I can find you another place to work...a better place. Okay?"

Lauren nodded and took her card. She lowered her head, wiped her tears and quickly walked away.

"Come on." Andrew whispered to Danai and took a hold of her hand. He walked her out, just as the cleaning crew came in. Most of the club remained oblivious to all of this, as Cucumber Town began playing their next song.

Andrew pulled her closer as he navigated them though the crowd. She could feel his fingers tightly wound around her hand. They walked to a corner where a bouncer was standing. He moved away to reveal a door behind him. He opened the door for them, and it was shut behind them as they entered.

Danai immediately felt like the volume had been turned down, all around them. She shook her head, trying to acclimatize to the quieter environment.

It was a corridor that had a set of stairs at the end of it. There were two tube lights on either end of the corridor.

Andrew stood facing Danai, rubbing the knuckles of his left hand with his right palm, looking a little angry. Her mind was still fresh with the memory of him punching out the bigger man. _'Did he just do that!?'_

She could hear the muffled screams of excitement, singing and music from behind her.

"What the hell was that?" He asked her angrily.

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"I saw everything...there's a camera over there, remember? I told you to keep to yourself."

"Did you see what that creep was doing?" She asked defensively.

"To the waitress?"

"Lauren!"

"What?"

"The waitress - her name's Lauren."

"FINE, LAUREN."

"And?"

"And then I saw you get up and walk over to that table. Didn't see anything after that cause I ran out of there" he said pointing to the staircase, "right in the middle of my conversation with Momma Fisch."

"That guy was trying to molest her. I couldn't just ignore that. So I walked over there and slapped his hands off her!"

"YOU SLAPPED HIS HANDS AWAY? The big guy, with 4 of his buddies sitting by his side? ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"Yeah...well... you-you knocked him out."

"BECAUSE HE PUT HIS HANDS ON YOU!"

"AND HE PUT HIS HANDS ON LAUREN!"

"Jesus Christ!" Andrew raised his hands over his head. He turned around, visibly frustrated. He put his right hand in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

As he was about to light one, he turned around and looked at her and then moved a little further away.

"What did I tell you before we walked in here?" He said letting out a whiff of smoke. "This isn't like one of the neighborhoods you grew up in or a small town in Richmond. It's a different world over here. And shit happens."

She looked at him indignantly. "Shit happens? What kind of an excuse is that?"

"It's not! It's a reality. One that 'Lauren' and several others has to face, everyday...What? being here for a few hours has given you the rich messiah complex? You worked in a factory so you know what the HARD LIFE is all about! And now you're going to save everyone? All the poor people, all the miserable ones?"

Was this is the same guy she had termed as 'remarkable' on their way to the club? Who had said he would help her and she wouldn't have 'do this alone.' Who had flirted with her, asked her if she had a boyfriend, was this same guy who she felt attracted to, felt excited at the thought of dancing with him. All these thoughts rushed through her head.

Her hands were starting to shake. Her head was beginning to hurt, and she was starting to feel hot around her face and she could feel the tears form around her eyes.

"That's bullshit."

"You, think?"

"I wasn't being presumptuous. I saw a girl in a trouble and I decided to help. Didn't know I had to pass Andrew's school of street ethics to know whom and when to help?"

"Don't push it."

"WHY? I thought you liked helping people, Andrew. OR is it only the GIRLS - OR ONLY THE ONES'S YOUR SISTERS TELLS YOU TOO."

"HEY, WATCH IT!" Andrew pointed his right index finger at her angrily.

Their heated banter had caused them to move closer to each other. They were out of breath, heaving in and out, angrily staring each other down.

Andrew took a few steps back and turned away. He angrily puffed away at his cigarette.

 _'I can't believe I was thinking of asking her out! I can't believe I was itching to dance to with her half an hour ago. GOD! I thought she was this amazing classy girl. I can't believe I bought it. She is nothing but a snobbish-'_

"I'm sorry!" She said all of a sudden.

Andrew turned to look at her, and saw the tears stream down her face. Her face was red and she was shaking. "That was mean of me to bring Sonny into our conversation." She said sniffing her nose, keeping her face lowered.

He immediately started to feel guilty. ' _Damn it Andrew. You went too far.'_

"You're right, I...I don't know what it's like growing up here. And I probably didn't have to face the hardships of it, either."

She raised her head and looked at him. "But Lauren's a working girl. And she's a hard working one. She's ME, three years ago. And I know what that's like. I know how hard it can be. I can't in good conscience just sit back and watch someone like that be exploited because it's all supposed to be a part of her life or her damn job."

 _'Oh crap!_ _You're an A CLASS fucking asshole!'_ Andrew shuffled his feet, uncomfortably.

"Look I wasn't trying to upset you-"

"I'M NOT!" She said wiping her face and brushing her hair back.

"You're not?"

"No. I'm ANGRY. I cry-TEAR up when I'm angry."

"Really?" He said, trying not laugh.

She glared at him. "It happens, look it up!"

"Okay. Okay..." He said raising his hands in surrender.

Andrew felt like walking over and giving her a hug. He wanted to move apart that little tuft of hair covering her forehead, and place a kiss on that spot.

She took a few deep calming breaths and wiped her tear strained face. It was remarkable, just watching her quickly pull herself together. She turned around and opened her hand bag, pulled out a mirror checked her reflection. She then pulled out a face wipe and rubbed her face. Then a hair brush and quickly brushed her hair. She did something to her eyes with something that looked like a pen. And then she turned back around, looking pretty, except for her sad looking eyes.

He nervously ran his left hand through his hair. "Look I'm sorry. Maybe I was being a little harsh."

She replied back with a resounding silence.

"Okay, I was being a jerk...a complete asshole."

She looked to her right at the wall, and crossed her arms. She stood shifting her weight on to her right leg.

He took another puff of smoke in and blew it out of his nostrils.

"I probably would have done the same thing...on another night...different set of circumstances... But there's a time and a place. And that's not what we're here for.. Or have you forgotten?"

"No, I haven't."

"You were so focused on our way here. Now you seem distracted."

"I'm fine!"

Andrew rolled his eyes. _'Come on, you hurt her feelings. What do you expect? Try being a little honest.'_

"What if I hadn't gotten there in time? What if that guy had hit you or done something worse? What if Momma Fisch hadn't sent her boys after me. I don't think I couldn't taken all of 4 of them - I mean, I'd have tried..." Andrew said a little more confidently.

"I've been in a few fights before, maybe I could have taken them ... _('Andrew, that is some BULLSHIT' - shut up!)..._ The point is, what if something had happened to you?"

Danai finally looked at him.

 _'Huh! This honesty stuff really works.'_

"What, you spent some time with me and now you're worried about me? You don't have to. I can look after my self. It's been that way for a long-" She stopped mid sentence and looked away again. "You don't have to worry or concern yourself about me."

 _'More honest! more honesty!'_

Andrew took a few steps forward. "Actually, I do. You're here because of me. I brought you here, I said I would help you get the money. So if anything were to happen to you...while you were here! That would be on me! And that's not me saying that you can't look after yourself. That's me saying...Uh...that's me saying...

 _'Fuck! What am I saying?'_

Danai looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She was still angry at him but she couldn't help notice how cute he looked as he struggled to say the right thing.

"Uh..that..."

"I should keep my rich messiah complex in check?" She offered, sternly.

"YESS-NOOOOO! NO! No! NO! NO" His eyes brimmed with sincerity and concern. "I didn't meant it-"

"-Yes you did!"

"Okay, I did. And it was wrong of me to say that. I don't know you and I don't know anything about your life, so it was wrong of me to accuse you like that. I'm really sorry and I _mean_ that."

She softened her expression, a bit. But continued to glare at him in silence.

After a while, "How's your hand?"

"My hand?"

"You were rubbing it earlier."

Andrew looked down at his left hand and then shrugged. "It's fine." He said, clenching and un-clenching his fist. It actually did hurt a little but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Thank you." She said after a while "..for...

 _'saving me - no, too much.'_

 _'for helping me...no way, he'd like me to say that'._

"...for...getting there on time... For punching that guy! He deserved it."

"Absolutely." He said smiling at her, trying to get her to do that same.

It didn't work, but she wasn't glaring at him anymore.

"You were right-"

"-I know-"

"About me being distracted." She quickly corrected him.

"Yeah, yeah...that's what I meant."

She frowned and gave him one of her dirtiest glances.

"I should focus on what I came here for." She said pulling the hand bag over her shoulder. "Is she ready to see me."

"Yeah and don't forget-

"I know...you're trying to help me to impress me, because you have a crush on me."

"When you say it like that-"

"Can we just go meet her, now? Please?"

"...Sure..."

Andrew stepped aside and gestured towards the staircase. Not looking at him, she walked forwards.

He kept his eyes on her, hoping she would look at him. When she was about to pass him, "So...we good?"

Danai turned her head to the right and looked at him, then at his right hand. The cigarette was between his index and middle fingers, almost three quarters of it already burnt away.

She hit it out of his hand and then stomped it out.

"Yeah, we're good." She said coolly, and then walked past him.

He wasn't expecting it and looked at the stomped out cigarette with a comical expression on his face. Danai continued to walk past, without glancing back.

Smiling to himself, Andrew quietly followed.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I've never believed in 'first impressions'. When you meet someone for the first time they are usually on their best behavior, and you form an opinion based on that. However, it is that first fight that really gives you an insight into who that person is. I guess this is something we've all gone through so I wanted to reflect on that.**_

 _ **The story continues next week, they do meet Momma Fisch, and trust me this won't be the last time they fight.**_


	42. Richonne, Pretty Woman

**Sorry for the wait guys. Had to deal with some stuff that took me away from the story.** **Shunnie is Fine, I really appreciate your comments. Thanks for noticing and reviewing.**

 **Here's the 8'th part to the epilogue, Chapter 42: Richonne, Pretty Woman.**

* * *

"Everyone calls her Momma."

"Got it!" Danai nodded quietly as they walked up the stairs towards the door. Andrew knocked softly and the door was opened by a man who nodded at him and stepped aside for them to enter.

"Did that naughty boy hurt you?" A kind voiced called out as they entered.

Danai looked around for the source of the voice and saw a small woman standing in the corner of the room. She was staring up at the many T.V monitors assembled on the columns of a rather large shelf. These monitors were streaming live footage from various areas of the club.

She turned around and smiled at him warmly, as Andrew shrugged saying "Naaahh."

Momma Fisch turned out to be an Indian woman, in her mid-fifties. She was wearing the traditional Indian sari, a mix of gold and red. Her hair was completely grey, and lay quite elegantly reaching up to her lower back.

She looked like a very sweet old lady, and Danai found it hard to imagine her as someone who could order her 'boys' to break someone's arms or legs.

Danai recalled everything Andrew had said about her..

 _"The person we're going to meet is Samantha Fisch. She's in her 50's and they call her 'Momma Fisch."_

 _"Growing up on the street, you meet a lot of people. She was someone who lost everything and everyone in her life, in an accident. To fill the void in her life, she started helping kids - street kids like me. Basically helped them out and in return she got their loyalty. She became everyone's momma. The trouble was she started using them to get things done. She too started a business, the money lending business, with whatever money she had. Gained a reputation and people started approaching her. Of course, if you didn't pay on time she'd sent one of her boys to 'talk' to you.'"_

 _"We're going to a...certain..part of the city. Momma Fisch has this club. She 'acquired' it very recently. That's where she's running her operation, now._

 _"Danai, this neighborhood...Everything illegal in this city, happens here, in this neighborhood. The police, they don't interfere as long as everything remains within this area. You haven't heard of anything like this, because it happens in the big cities. And like I said, no murders. So things remain quiet. Besides, new laws are strict about that kind of thing. Zero tolerance for murderers."_

 _"This side of town belongs to Momma Fisch. This is her attempt at polishing up this place."_

 _"...for the kind of money you're looking for, and you want it by tonight, this is the only way I know. And Momma Fisch - I know her - and she's an honorable women. She's got a code and she'll keep her word. I know that. So that's why I brought you here. If she lends you money then I guarantee you that she will honor the terms of whatever agreement you reach. It's only if you go against those terms...well that's when you see the bad side of her..."_

 _"...She's gonna seem like a really sweet lady, but she's not. Trust me. When you speak to her be confident and but respectful."_

"I was asking her..your...'friend'. She said turning around.

"...Client." Andrew looking towards her, arching his eyebrows.

Quickly pulling herself together "I'm fine, Mo-mma. Andrew...got there in time to stop him... And thank you for sending your men, we could've been in a lot of trouble

Momma Fisch waved her hand as she hobbled her way towards her."Not what you were expecting?"

Uh..No.." Danai grinned. 'Not Exactly."

"I'm christian...married a Jew. It was a long time ago..."

Walking towards her, Momma Fisch hugged her warmly. Danai was taken aback by gesture, but hugged her back. It felt good and weird at the same time. Especially knowing that she had never been hugged like that by anyone in entire life. And that she had just met her. Her embrace felt affectionate and sincere.

Her eyes darted towards Andrew who was clenching his lips together, trying not to laugh at her confused expression.

"Did you have enough to eat? Would you like something else...You're very thin." She asked finally letting go of her.

Her hands clasped around Danai's arms and hands and then she touched her waist. "...But healthy and fit...She said approvingly and then turned and looked at Andrew.

"I'm fine, Momma. " She assured her. "Really, I'm full. Thank you so much for your hospitality."

"Only the best for my Andrew and his...friend." She replied back, trying to suppress a grin.

Momma Fisch looked like she was having fun, trying to tease Andrew and be discreet at the same time.

She held her hands and looked up at Danai "Andrew's a good boy, very handsome, hard working, he can sing..AND he can PUNCH." She added with a wink.

If Danai thought Andrew couldn't get any more cockier, she was wrong. He grinned at her smugly and ran his right hand through his hair, clearly enjoying every word as she was saying it.

Reluctantly, her face split into a toothy grin. While a part of her just wanted to wipe that smirk of his face.

"Yep, he sure is." She said looking at him, with a hint of sarcasm. Andrew frowned at her.

" _AHH_.. _Soohndarii kutty!_ Look at that smile." She said admiringly turning to Andrew.

"Yeah, she's great." He said matching her same level of sarcasm.

Still laughing, they glared at each other.

" _Soohndarii kutty?"_ Danai asked politely.

"Pretty Woman! It's a Malayalam word. I'm from a state called Kerala, in India. The language we speak over there is called _Malayalam_. That was before I came here, 28 years ago... Haven't been home in a long time..."

"Oh...well, thank you so much." She said modestly.

"Come, sit." Momma said gesturing towards the table at the far end of the room. It was large table, with a comfortable looking seat behind it.

The woman who had approached Andrew at the club was standing next to it. There were two other guards who sat by the T.V monitors and then one more at the door.

Danai and Andrew sat on two of three chairs that were placed before Momma Fisch's table, as she circled around it and sat in her seat. Andrew sat to Danai's right, trying to catch her eye, but she pretended like she couldn't see him.

"Uh..Momma Fisch." Danai quietly spoke to her. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for any trouble I might have caused tonight. You have been so gracious in welcoming us here and taking the time out to meet with me."

She felt Andrew kick her lightly underneath the table, but she ignored him.

"It wasn't my intention to get into an altercation with that man." Starting to feel annoyed with Andrew's kicks, she kicked him back hard causing him to grunt in pain. Which he quickly passed off as him trying to clear his throat.

"I just couldn't sit back and watch him take advantage of that girl. So, I'm really sorry if I caused a problem."

"That's sweet of you to say that my dear, but I am glad you did."

Danai arched her eyebrows in surprised. Andrew immediately stopped hitting her with his leg.

"That boy and his friends have been coming in her for a while now, causing problems for my girls. He's the son of the Muncipality Chairman. If it was someone from around her, I'd have kicked him out long time ago. You see, it was because of his father that I was able to _legally_ obtain this place and open it so soon. Government officials, business men, politicians,,, a lot of powerful people come here. I need to be able to keep them in my good graces...as someone with her own business I'm sure you understand."

"I do." She nodded.

"As much as I hated it, I felt reluctant to interfere with what was happening. But I'm glad you did what you did. Now, I can keep him and his friends out for good - I can always say he tried to hurt another customer forcing my boys to keep them out. So thank you. You are a brave brave girl."

"Really!" She said smugly turning to look at him. Andrew stopped trying to catch her eye and instead focused on Momma Fisch who was sitting in front of them.

Danai bit her lip " Well, You're absolutely welcome... and don't forget Andy..." She said reaching out with her right hand and softly patting his left arm"he KNNNNOCKED that guy down, RIGHT on his ass." and started laughing.

"Yes, he certainly did!" Mamma laughed along with her.

Andrew grimaced, his cheeks were starting to turn red. He brushed Danai's hand off of his arm. "Don't you have something to talk about..."

"Oh, look at that...Andy's feeling shy." She teased touching his arm as he shrugged it off. "Is in't he just the cutest?"

"He's adorable." Momma added fondly.

Andrew face was completely red as he sat there clenching his jaw, trying to keep a straight face.

Once they stopped laughing, Danai finally got around to explain why she was there and the 700,000 $ she wanted. Momma Fisch listened in silence and asked for the deed to her apartment. She carefully examined it and then asked for an ID. Danai gave driving license and Momma Fisch passed it onto the women who was standing next to her table.

"I'll be honest with you, Danai. I only deal with people I know. Now, when I talked with Andrew earlier he vouched for you and I agreed to meet with you. But I don't think this deal will work. I have the money, but let's just say for the sake of it, you were default on your payment or payments. I don't think I'll be able to DO anything about it."

"But you have the deed and I can sigh a power of attorney-"

She continued in her kind tone "That's all fine but I'm not running a financial institution. Legally speaking, I wouldn't really have any kind of leverage over you. I can't claim ownership over your property. There's also another reason and this is the main reason. People who come to see me, I know where they stay, I know what they do. You don't run in that circle. Basically, your circle...it's the rich and powerful.. I can't send my boys over there and try to _do any thing -_ that is if you were to default on your payments."

Momma crossed her arms and sat back on her chair. For the first time Danai saw it in her eyes, the shadow of a shrewd cut throat business woman. The momma act was endearing. Whether it was sincere or not, it didn't matter. It pulled people in, she connected with them, got them to trust her and open up about their problems.

Andrew placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. "Momma, we came here because I believed that you could help her. I told her as much. Danai's not the kind of person who won't pay what she owes. In fact, she's the kind that would remind you if you were to forget. You can trust her..."

He looked at Danai briefly and then back at Momma. "I trust her."

Danai felt a sense of gratitude towards him. But Andrew was trying to appeal to Momma's sentimentality. And that wasn't the issue here

"It's not a matter of trust. I haven't even seen the place, but I trust you Andrew. Should I move forward I'm wiling to take your word for it. But do I move forward, that is the question."

Danai was smart enough to realize what Momma was actually saying. She moved her hand under the table and placed it on his knee and patted it.

Andrew looked at her, but Danai continued to look at Momma and asked her politely. "May we have a moment?"

"Of Course."

Danai rose up from her chair and Andrew followed her towards the door. Danai stood facing it with her hands held together behind her back. Andrew put his hands inside his pockets and moved closer to her and whispered.

"I'll talk to her. Just give me sometime."

"It's not going to work Andrew. This isn't about her trusting me or not. This is about business - profit or loss."

"What do you mean?"

"You know how she talked about acquiring this club?"

"Yeah...OH!" Andrew suddenly remarked, realizing what she was talking about.

"She wants the apartment and she'll buy it. She knows I need 700 grand and she's willing to give it if I give her the apartment. This way she avoids the problem of having proper 'leverage' over me.'"

"700 GRAND? Are you kidding me? That's a big ass penthouse apartment in one of the prominent locations in the city. You can get 5 million, easy.

"I'm not going to get 5 million tonight, Am I?" She asked him.

"Danai, it's your property and it's none of my business. But I got to call it as it is, and I think you're wrong about this."

Danai looked at him, his eyes reflected back with concern. "This Jenkins lady has got you all wound up. She's got you thinking about what you can have if you can make this deal happen and your basing all your decisions on that."

"You're right. I'm thinking about the future - my future."

"I get it, you worked really hard to get here. But this apartment is an inheritance - I'm guessing. You feel like you don't need it now, but what if in the future, your future...what if you do?"

"This deal with Jenkins will not just earn me a lot of money. But she'll give me a job as a lead designer. I won't have to do it on my own anymore...It'll give me the opportunity to grow..to work with the best...allow me to take my trade forward, to make a name for my self. ...That is my dream, Andrew...That is my future."

Andrew sighed and shook his head, smiling to himself. "You know, when you say all that , like that, you kind of sound 'inspirational.'

"Kind of?" She asked playfully.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I'm _kind of_ starting to..."

They shared a moment, gazing at each other. There it was again, a feeling of familiarity...like something from a past memory they couldn't remember."

Danai lowered her head and cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "You said she's an honorable women...that she's got a code and she'll keep her word."

He nodded as he continued to look at her. "Absolutely."

"That's all I need. I'll sell it to her right now and ask her to give me 4 months time to clear out. That should give me enough time to wrap up me deal with Jenkins...She sighed and looked at him. "So that's the deal."

As she was about to turn around, she felt his hand on her shoulder, "Danai..."

"...are you sure about this?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

"Now don't get sentimental on me, Andrew. I like to think of you as tough guy."

"Ha ha.. I'm not! I'm being practical. It's a pretty sweet place. Do you want to give it away for just 700 grand? I'm no businessman but aren't you selling it a loss."

She raised her left hand and touched his hand softly. "Of all the years I have stayed in that place. This is best thing to have happened."

They walked back to the table and sat down confidentially.

"How about ownership? Is that something you would be interested in?" Danai asked her in her most professional tone.

Momma leaned forward and placed her hands together on the table. "Tell me more."

They made the deal. Momma and her assistant already had the necessary paperwork that was required. All that remained was getting it registered and making it legal, which momma said she will take care of. For legal reasons, the property was stated as simple being signed over to Samantha Fisch. She agreed to the 4 month time period Danai had asked and even stated in the terms of their contract. They exchanged phone numbers and email and Danai said she could come over anytime to see the apartment.

There was only one problem, Momma didn't have the money with her in the club. The money was unaccounted, not part of her income or her taxes. She had been making money through illegitimate deals for so long now that she wanted out. That was why she had acquired the club, to legitimize her business, while also serving as a front to launder all the dirty money she had hidden away at an undisclosed location.

She gave them an address to a location at the Washington Harbor and asked them to be there by 4:00 AM. She then held out a plain black synthetic card, 4 inch in width and 2 inch in height.

"2 of my men will meet with you. All you have to do is hand this over to them and they will hand over the money."

Danai looked at Momma Fisch uncertainly and then at Andrew. He nodded at her encouragingly.

 _'I trust her_ ' is what Andrew had told Momma Fisch. It was now her turn to trust him.

She turned towards Momma and took the ticket, opened her hand bag and put inside her wallet.

...

The time was almost 1:30 AM when they left Momma Fisch's office.

Danai breathed a sigh of relief as they descended the staircase.

"You did good." Andrew said laughingly, patting her back.

They continued to walk through the corridor, back the way they came.

"You think so?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. You were respectful but you were strong and clear on what you wanted. You made the deal and did it on your terms."

"I thought you didn't approve." She asked him, laughing back at him.

"Hey, things didn't go according to plan but you made the best out." He said appreciatively.

She shrugged. "Well, I didn't do it alone."

"Does this mean we're okay?" He asked suddenly stopping. They had reached the spot where they had their argument earlier. Standing face to face, she lowered her head and held her hands behind her back. She wanted to say 'yes' but she didn't want to let him off too easy. However, she wasn't mean enough to say 'no' either. So instead she raised her head and looked into at his expectant face, staring into his blue eyes and said..

Flashing her teeth "Thank you for backing me up in there. I don't think all of this would have worked out so well, without you."

He straightened his white shirt and looked down at his brown boots. He raised his head and then looked into her face, at her radiant skin under the yellow light, his eyes lingered over her round face, her full lips, at the best and the most brightest smile he had seen in his life. He chest swelled up a little as continued to gaze at her. She wasn't just a brave girl, she was smart, she was charming and witty...she was beautiful... He felt a sense of excitement as he held her gaze. A burst of energy surged throughout his body. He wanted to do something he just didn't know what it was."

A devilish grin spread across his face. "You're right. Things wouldn't have worked out so well, if it weren't me."

"...And we're back." She said shaking her head as she started walking towards the door.

"What?"

"So..so close.."

He ran behind her. "So we're NOT okay?"

"Why don't we just go to the harbour and get the money."

"That's at 4, it's just 1:30..We got all the time in the world"

"Well, why don't we just go back to our seats then." Danai placed her hand on the door to pull it open.

"Danai.." He called her from behind.

"Yes, Andrew." She turned her head back to look at him.

"Last chance...tell me 'We're okay!" He said with that cocky grin, his eyes glancing up and down at her.

"OH..it's like that huh?"

"Oh yeah..." He said placing his hands on his hips. "It's exactly like that."

"Make me." She teased him.

And then she pushed the door and walked out, knowing he would follow her.

The band had gone on a break, but the party still waged on in and and around the club.

Danai squeezed through the crowd, skirting away. as she felt a few hands touch her here and there. She ignored them and walked back into the VIP area. The bouncer removed the red velvet and allowed her in. Their table had been replaced and the place had been cleaned up. She sat back down on the comfortable leather seating and looked for Lauren. She signaled her towards the table and ordered a gin and tonic.

As she waited for her drink, she looked around for him. But he was nowhere to be seen.

 _'Where's he? He can't have just left me...he's too cocky to have done that.'_

The music had just stopped playing. The band was getting back on the stage.

Lauren brought her drink and Danai thanked her. As she sipped on it, she continued to look around for him.

She glanced across the stage again and there he was! Shaking hands with Bobby, the lead singer of Cucumber Town and the rest of the band.

 _'What's he doing?'_

Bobby picked up the mike "You're all in for a treat tonight. This is an old friend of mine, Andrew, and he-is-fucking-awesome. He's gonna sing something for us."

The crowd clapped for Andrew as he nodded in acknowledgment.

"But before that he's got something to say..."

Half excited - half nervous, Danai held her hand over her mouth. _'Oh God! he's got to be kidding.'_

Andrew spoke through the mike "How're you all doing? You guys having a good time?"

"YEEEAAAAHHHHHH" A resounding cheer erupted from the audience.

"So before I begin...I just want to say something to a very special girl..."

"Awwwwwwwww" a collective sigh spread throughout the club.

Danai wished her seat would absorb her, as she pushed back against it.

 _'Oh Shit! Shit! Shit!_ _Shit!_ _Shit!'_

"Danai..."

Out of a nowhere a spotlight fell on her. Every head in the club turned to look at her. Her body whole body froze under the spotlight. She couldn't believe what was happening, but it was happening and Andrew with that same cocky grin just stood there looking at her with aN 'I warned you' look on his face. Danai looked across at him wondering what he was going to say. Half wishing he would stop, half excited knowing that he wouldn't.

"...Dance with me."

As if on cue, the music began to play. The drums, guitar, saxophone and piano, started together in tune to a song that was a 100 years old. The familiar tune reverberated with zing and life throughout resulting in an appreciative cheer from the crowd. Perhaps it was coincidence or perhaps it was fate that the song Andrew had chosen to sing was about a girl who defined living the crazy life - on a night that was turning out to be the craziest night of Danai's entire life.

 _She's into superstitions black cats and voodoo dolls._  
 _I feel a premonition that girl's gonna make me fall._

Andrew spun around, on the heels of his shoes and pointed at her from the stage. His voice was strong radiating with joy and energy.

 _She's into new sensations new kicks in the candle light._  
 _She's got a new addiction for every day and night._

He jumped off the stage and landed on the dance floor. Twisting and turning to the music, his moves were wild but graceful. His legs moved fast, using the heel and tips of his boots, as he worked his way through the crowd like a pro. Smiling and winking at a few girls, charming them with his presence.

Danai hadn't realized it yet, but like everybody else she was up on her feet watching him in wonder. enjoying the performance.

And then he turned to look at her again, and started walking towards the VIP section, holding his right hand over his chest.

 _She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain._

He had reached the railings of the VIP area and jumped over it one quick fluid motion.

 _She'll make you live her crazy life but she'll take away your pain..._

He held out his left hand and she took it. Pulling her closer, he tightly wound his left arm around her waist and they looked at each other with mere inches between their face.

 _...like a bullet to your brain. Come On!_

They turned on the spot and he gently pushed her forward clearly telling her to walk in front of him, allowing him to _chase_ her.

 _Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca_  
 _She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca_

He may have been singing to her, but he was also putting on a show - spontaneity and natural drama for the audience to enjoy. Danai walked without turning back, putting all sway she could onto her hips, channeling her inner 'Beyonce' whilst trying to remember an old video she had seen of her.

Andrew eyes darted over at her sultry walk, downwards from her shapely torso to her seductive hips and to her voluptuous bottom, as she walked down the stairs and into the dance floor. Hundreds of faces were staring at her, howling, applauding, screaming, but their faces were a blur. The music was almost infectious, adrenaline surged throughout her body like fire.

He approached her quickly, and from behind he crept his left hand over her waist. She felt the tip of each finger as he slid them seductively over her navel, and then pressed his entire palm over it pushing her closer to his body. Her right hand immediately reached up and placed it over his right hand, digging her fingers into them as they lay pressed over her waist. He continued sing over her neck, as she felt his breath over her skin

 _Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha_  
 _She will wear you out livin la vida loca Come On!_

He stepped back, pulling her hand circling around her

 _Livin la vida loca, Come on!_  
 _She's livin la vida loca._

Now the rest of the club began to join in on the fun, as they pulled their respective partners on to the dance floor. The band continued to play the rest of the music in great gusto as everyone danced and partied to it.

Danai moved closer to Andrew, like her body had a mind of its own. She began to dance, as if the music was telling her how to move. They were in synergy, completely caught in the moment.

"So are we okay?" He said breathlessly, moving the mike away from his mouth, watching her as she danced.

Her hands reached out and held his shoulders. He caught her as she arched back bending her legs slightly. Holding on to him, she rotated her head and torso from right to left with hair lying back. Her eyes were shut, she felt free and light and then she came back up to face him. Grabbing both sides of his face she pressed her forehead onto his, and stared intensely into his eyes...before grinning at him seductively.

"NO!" She shook her head teasingly. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed him hard and took a few steps back. She bit her bottom lip and looked at him, almost daring him to make his next move.

Not be outdone, Andrew looked around him and ran towards one of the many tables that were situated around the dance floor. Quickly jumping onto one he turned around and stood with his legs placed as far apart as he could on the tiny table. Holding the pose he continued

 _Woke up in New York City in a funky cheap hotel_  
 _She took my heart and she took my money_  
 _she must've slipped me a-_

Amidst cheers and roars, he did a back flip and landed back on the dance floor almost losing his balance. Danai's eye flared up at the sight of it, and her hands went up to her mouth as she laughed out loud in amazement.

There was a collective 'WHOOOOOOO' from the crowd as he landed. Quickly regaining his balance, his raised his hands up proudly to the crowd and turned back to look at her, breathlessly. There she stood in her simple beige T-shirt, blue jeans and an ordinary pair of a sneakers, flashing him her dazzling smile as her eyes brimmed with admiration and joy. At that moment, he couldn't remember seeing anything more beautiful.

Brushing back his hair he raised the mike to his mouth and continued to sing as he walked towards her.

 _She never drinks the water and makes you order French Champagne_

Circling around her, he let the finger tips of his right hand graze her left arm, brushing her skin ever so lightly. Raising his hand, he pointed at her as he paced back in long strides...

 _Once you've had a taste of her you'll never be the same..._

Pacing forward he jumped holding both hands around the mike. He cringed as he landed on his knees and slid across the floors towards her whilst singing...

 _Yeah, she'll make you go insane._

Jumping back up on his feet, he started with the final chorus. The moved closer to each other, arm around his shoulder, arm around her waist. He tilted her backwards, he tilted her forwards..

 _Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca.._

 _She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca_

His voice strained a little as he picked her up with his right arm around her waist.

 _Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha_

Bending her legs underneath her, she held onto his strong shoulders as he spun around slowly singing the final lines, with all the gusto and energy he could muster.

 _She will wear you out, livin la vida loca... Come On!_

 _Livin la vida loca, Come on!_

Still carrying her by the waist he tilted her back as she hung on to his shoulders. Her left leg was up in the air, her right on his knee. Andrew was bent forwards with his right arm around her waist and his left hand holding the mike. They were drenched in sweat, their faces were closer than ever before and their lips were inches apart. In their final pose, he looked at her and sang the last line...

 _She's livin la vida locaaaa..._

The music began to wind down to it's final moments. Andrew was completely out of breath. Moving aside the mike, taking deep heaving breaths he asked her again...

"...So...are we...okay, now?"

Danai was too overwhelmed too speak. She simply gaped up at him in happiness and then slowly shook her head. Andrew widened his eyes at her in surprise and grinned at her. "Guess I'll have to try something else then."

He dropped the mike onto the floor causing a deep boom to echo throughout the club. The band finished with the last beat of the song. His left hand now free, Andrew softly caressed her cheeks and moved it behind her head, running his fingers through her hair. Danai raised her head as he lowered his. Closing their eyes and opening their lips, Andrew and Danai kissed as the crowd around them broke into an applause.

* * *

 **A/N: They had to dance...they just had to dance. But the night wasn't over there are a few more surprises left. Hold on folks, we are almost there.**

 **I hold no rights over the song 'Livin La vida Loca'. I am simply a fan, so thank you Rick Martin and the makers of it.**


	43. Richonne, Reality Check

_**Hello Richonne , but this chapter took a while to write. It's a long one. I hit 200,000 words with this chapter...Plenty of stuff of going on, so sit back and take your time with this one. Thank you Guest and Guest**_ _**for all your wonderful reviews.**_

 _ **GD YOUNG 59 (I loved your feedback and comments on all the chapters. Hope you liked the story so far.)**_

 ** _I don't think you're going to enjoy this chapter, but you're gonna have plenty to say after this one. So here's chapter 49 and Part 9 to the epilogue:_** ** _Richonne, Reality Check_** **_(we're very close to the final chapter/epilogue)._**

* * *

The music began to wind down to the it's final moments. Andrew was completely out of breath. Moving aside the mike, taking deep heaving breaths he asked her again...

"...So...are we...okay, now?"

Danai was too overwhelmed too speak. She simply gaped up at him in happiness and then slowly shook her head. Andrew widened his eyes at her in surprise and grinned at her. "Guess I'll have to try something else then."

He dropped the mike onto the floor causing a deep boom to echo throughout the club. The band finished with the last beat of the song. His left hand now free, Andrew softly caressed her cheeks and moved it behind her head, running his fingers through her hair. Danai raised her head as he lowered his. Closing their eyes and opening their lips, Andrew and Danai kissed as the crowd around them broke into an applause.

Hands still wrapped around his neck, she felt herself pull on his curls, tasting his cigarette flavoured mouth, and yet remain enamored by the moment, knowing she was kissing him. Her left leg was up in the air and her right on his knee. She pulled herself up and parted her lips wider trying to kiss more of him.

He kissed her as slowly and as softly as he could, tasting and feeling her lips and then her tongue as it grazed over his. The fingers of his left hand was still behind her head stealing it's way through her hair. He felt himself press the fingers of his right hand which was wrapped around her waist, through the fabric of her T-shirt trying to feel her skin.

His legs started to strain under their weight. Andrew lost his balance and they collapsed onto the floor, him on top of her. His left hand was behind her head and his right behind her waist as they landed. 'Ow' he cried in pain and Danai grunted as his weight came down on her.

He rolled over to the side , with his hand still behind her head. Laughing together, they briefly lay exhausted and overwhelmed on the dance floor. There under the lights and all the noise, Danai turned her head to the right to look at him, as Andrew turned his head to the left to look at her.

"Get a room, already!" Someone teased. The whole floor cheered in acknowledgement. Placing her palms on the floor, Danai pushed herself up to a sitting a position and breathed out in shock. she rubbed the sweat off her face and brushed back her hair nervously. Andrew continued to lay there looking at her watching each off her movements. She got back on to her feet and blushed as she looked around at everyone who was watching them. Looking down at Andrew, who was still watching her, she extended her right hand towards him. Taking hold off her hand, he sprang back up on his feet. Holding their hands together, they looked at each other with a million things running through their head.

"Didn't I tell ya we're in for a treat? That was in-fucking-credible! One more round of applause for my man Andrew and his girl...DANAIIII!" Bobby cheered through the mike.

Andrew turned back around and bowed in gratitude at the applauding crowd and Danai followed his lead. Andrew pointed at Bobby and Cucumber Town in acknowledgment, who gave him a thumbs up.

Palms of their hands lay embraced within each other. They moved slowly and then their fingers interlocked. Not maintaining any eye contact they started walking back to their seats.

The band started with another song, Usher's - Yeah!

 _Peace up! A Town Down!_

 _Holding her hand, Andrew walked in front of her slowly making their way through all the people moving back onto the dance floor._

 _Yeah, (Yeah!) OK!_

Danai's eyes were focused on the back of his head. Her mind kept replaying the images of them dancing, the way he had looked at her and the way she had kissed him, again and again. They walked up the stairs to the VIP area, away from prying eyes. They never made it to their seats. As they passed one of the pillar walls, Andrew turned around and moved closer to her.

Yeah, yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah! Yeah!  
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah! Yeah!

His eyes glanced over her eyes and then her lips. She felt the palms his hands over her navel. She felt herself move back as she stared into his intense blue eyes. With her back against the concrete she waited nervously for what was going to happen next.

 _Up in the club with my homies, tryna get a lil' V-I, but keep it down on the low key (low key), 'cause you know how it feels._  
 _I saw shorty she was checkin' up on me, from the game she was spittin' in my ear you would think that she knew me._  
 _So we decided to chill_

Andrew lowered his head and kissed her right cheek. His lips trailed down softly brushing over her skin, finally enclosing them over the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and grabbed the back of his head, clenching a handful of his hair, as he repeatedly nibbled around her neck, increasing his pace with each kiss. Andrew's right hand caressed her waist and made it's way over to her butt. He squeezed it hard as his lips trailed upwards and kissed her chin.

 _Conversation got heavy, she had me feelin' like she's ready to blow!_  
 _(Watch out! Oh! Watch out!)_  
 _She's saying, "Come get me! Come get me."_  
 _So I got up and followed her to the floor, she said, "Baby, let's go."_  
 _That's when I told her I said..._

Grabbing her by the thigh, he raised her right leg and thrust his pelvis against her. She widened her legs as she felt his hardness press up against her. They paused briefly to look at each other almost afraid to let their lips touch.

He kissed her lips and pulled back his head to look at her. She didn't move, she didn't breathe, she didn't blink. Her brown eyes continued to stare at him. He kissed her lips again and then started pull back again. But she didn't let him. She pushed his head towards her and their parted their lips. She kissed him tilting her head to the right sucking into his cigarette flavored mouth. They pushed at each other back and forth devouring their lips, brushing their tongues one over the other.

"Wait..wait..wait wait.." She said pulling back.

Resting her head back against the wall she breathed out and licked her lips. Her arms were still cradled around his neck, with him looking at her apprehensively. "..Too much...?" he asked smiling at her while breathing in and out.

He rubbed her thighs seductively and softly cradled her waist as he moved his face towards her neck.

She sighed and smiled as she felt the air from his nostrils over her neck. "No...we..." she gently began stroking his hair.

"...It's barely been 6 hours since we met..."

"...and a lot has happened since then.." he said kissing her neck again.

She laughed. "I think we should...get to...knowwww each other a little more-"

"Absolutely..." he said pressing his lips over her smile.

Laughing, she cupped his face causing him to stop and look at her. "I was thinking somewhere on the lines where are our lips are moving together to form words."

"Okay,...okay...what do you want to talk about?"

"...I..I don't know.."

"Okay..." He nodded. "You let me know when you think of something..." he smiled and then went back to kissing her again.

"Andrew.." She pulled her lips back from between his.

"Hmm.."he said clenching his lips together.

"...Why do you have a gun in your car...?

"What?"

"Why do you have...a gun in your car? I saw it, in the glove compartment.

He groaned and lowered his head.

She frowned at his reaction and continued to speak to him. "It's illegal. Only cops are allowed to carry guns. Are you a cop?..like an undercover cop...?"

He shook his head and raised his head to look at her."No...I'm not a cop.." He saw apprehension in her eyes and stepped back letting go off her thighs and waist.

Danai let her hands fall from his neck and looked at him.

"Then why do you have a gun?"

"It's a fake."

"Really?"

"Yeah..

"Andrew, please. I'm asking because I'm worried."

"About what?"

Danai paused hesitantly.

"I'm not a bad guy." Andrew said sincerely.

"I didn't say you were-

"-Then why're you worried?"

"Why am I worried? What if it was the other way around, wouldn't you wonder why I had a gun?"

"...The gun is for our protection. After we spoke on the phone, you said you needed money, I knew we had to come out here and see Momma Fisch. So I went back to my apartment and got the gun and I was on my way to your place. That's when my car broke down...that's why I was late...Look. . I told you what this neighborhood is like...the gun is a fake, I promise! It's insurance, in case if we run into trouble. The kind of trouble I can't solve with my fists."

Danai remained silent as her mind wrestled with the choice of believing him or not. Sonny had made him sound like a hero. And with everything he had done for her, she was starting to look at him that way.

"Danai, you got to believe me. I'm not lying..." He looked back at her earnestly with stains of her lipstick still around his lips from kissing her

"Where did you get it?"

Andrew looked back at her in silence.

"People don't just keep guns with them anymore. Fake or not you get caught you go to jail.. And that did not look like a toy. "

He clenched his jaws and frowned at her. "Now, you're an expert on guns?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?" He said folding his arms over his chest.

Danai was at a loss of words _'That I like you...that I'm worried about you and I don't want you to get in any trouble!'_

Andrew couldn't believe what was happening. _'What the hell happened? We were just kissing a second ago!'_

Danai held her hands together behind her back. "I just want to know if something else is going on."

"...Like what?"

"I don't know Andrew. That's why I'm asking you." she replied back sternly.

He looked around starting to feel a little uncomfortable "...We...it's barely been 6 hours since we met..."

"And a lot has happened since then.." She added.

Andrew smiled at her more out of annoyance than anger "So what...that gives you the right to know everything about me."

She looked him straight in the eye. "It gives me the right to _ask!_ Especially when you have a GUN in your car. And you choosing _not_ to tell _me_... that worries me."

Andrew stepped back not sure how to respond.

"So this is about trust..." He said hurtfully. "Okay Danai, but let's be fair. Back at your apartment you weren't willing to open up about your _family_ _or_ your _past._ You told me all about your professional life but nothing about you. I still brought you here, I still trusted you...I said as much to Momma Fisch... There are things that you don't like talking about and there are things that I DON'T LIKE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Don't raise your voice at me." She said calmly.

"Don't ask me about things that are none of your business." He said rather aggressively.

She looked back at him with a hurtful expression. "Done." She said after a while.

They continued to look at each other before turning away. Andrew sat down on the seat opposite to her's and after a while Danai sat down as well.

Angry and resentful, they kept their faces turned away from each other.

 _'Wow, you really know how to screw things up. You know she's right. She saw the gun...it was only natural of her to ask. You could've told her her the truth. I'm sure she'd have understood. NO-she'd look at ME differently..I don't want her to think I'm-'_

Danai was absorbed in her own thoughts as she picked up her hand bag from the seat. _'My past! That's his biggest issue? My past and him having a gun..Like they are the same things. I can't believe-'_

"Andrew...ANDREW!" Danai called out anxiously.

He quickly turned to look at her.

She was looking for something in handbag, sifting thought it's contents. "My wallet is missing..."

"What?"

"My WALLET! MY WALLET IS MISSING...The damn ticket was in there..."

"WHAT!" He exclaimed.

She glared at him "What're you deaf? My wallet is missing...the ticket momma gave me, my money, my credit cards, my id...all of it was in there.."

Andrew got up from his seat and pulled the bag from her grip. had remembered seeing it. Momma Fisch had handed over the ticket to Danai, she had opened her bag and put it inside the wallet.

As soon as he was done checking the hand bag, he grit his teeth in anger and looked at her. She stared back at him looking worried.

"When was the last time you saw it?" He asked her trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

She bent forwards holding her hands over her head, elbows on her knees, trying to calm herself. The first waves of tension was beginning to creep through the sides of her temple.

Andrew dropped the bag back onto the seat and lowered himself on to his right knee. He softly placed his left hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. We'll find it. Just try to think...when was the last time you took it out...Danai.." he shook her shoulders gently.

"After we saw Momma Fisch, I came back here...I ordered a drink and then I tipped Lauren...That's the last time I took out my wallet..to tip her. Then I put it back inside..."

"Are you sure?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes. I put it back inside. My hand bag was with me all night...except.." She turned to look at him indignantly. "Except for when you pulled me onto the dance floor..."

Andrew retracted his hand off her shoulder. "Woah...woah...hold on there...Before we left the car I told you to leave your bag in there. I warned you...I even offered to hold on to the deed. So none of this would have happened if you had listened to me."

"NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOUR WANTON NEED TO SHOW OFF! You couldn't resist it. You just had to get up on that stage, shine that spotlight over me and yell out my name."

Andrew got up from his seat and placed both his hands on his hips.

"Oh really? So you're the victim here...'cause I seem to recall you EAGERLY jumping out of your seat."

"Yeah, I'm supposed to sit back and say 'no' when a guy does all that for me, with the whole damn club watching... I was being gracious...I didn't want you to look like a fool."

"Oh that's what you were doing! Well thank you, Danai. Thank you for being so gracious...especially when you grabbed me and kissed me...Cut the crap, Danai. You liked it and you know it!"

Danai jumped to her feet so fast that Andrew took a few steps back.

"Oh pleaaaasseee...you've been practically asking for it all night. You've been hitting on me since you walked into my apartment...my favourite colour is black...just don't look hot...don't you feel it Danai, this thing between us...Don't deny it...dance with me! You want me to 'cut the crap' , Andrew - okay, how about a little subtlety!"

Andrew looked a little hurt at her outburst. He looked at her with a somber expression causing Danai to immediately resent her words. She wanted to say sorry, tell him that she didn't mean it. But before she could Andrew asked her quietly...

"You sound angry...are you going to cry?" And then he smiled at her. " I'm only asking 'cause I'm not good at the whole subtlety thing."

She folded her arms and flared her nose in anger. "Only if you intend to take your shoes off again."

He laughed at her "Oooh Personal hygiene - Nice! Very subtle" He mocked her.

She felt like punching him right in his stupid smiling face. Instead she raised her arms in frustration and turned around, pacing back to the pillar where they had made out a few moments ago. Danai was not trying to hurt him. In fact, she resented herself for all the things she said and for the way she said it. She was known for keeping a calm head in the face of adversity, but for some reason Andrew knew how to..

'... _push my buttons_.' Andrew kept his eyes at the back of her ' _One minute she's like the most sweetest girl and the next I just wanna UURRRRGGGGHHHH_... _Only if you intend to take your shoes off again - that was funny...AND INSULTING...Right! But you got to admit, she looked pretty hot ...all fired up like that...'_

She turned around to look at him.

"You think this is funny?...Are you having fun..?"

"Hey, you started-

"-I just lost a ticket that was worth 700 grand in exchange for the only piece of property I owned!" She said angrily. "Do YOU FIND THAT AMUSING?"

He lowered his head "No...I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

"YES!" He raised his head to look at her. She folded her arms across her chest and looked back at him. He could see the tension and worry in her eyes and moved closer to her.

"Relax...whatever happened to your wallet it happened in here. Which means we have control over the situation."

She blinked at him. "Right...The VIP BOUNCER!" She said looking towards the guard that was standing by the stairs that led down to the dance floor.

Before Andrew could say or do anything, Danai marched towards him and started questioning him. Andrew rushed behind her trying to keep control of the situation.

The hulking bouncer almost whimpered under Danai's intense stare and accusatory tone, especially when he heard her wallet was stolen. All he could was look at Andrew for support, who stood behind Danai looking perplexed. He shifted his stance uncomfortably and then looked back at Danai and said 'sorry'. Like everyone else in the club, he was temporarily distracted because -

"I mean, you two were practically _dirty danci-ying_ out there! And this guy was jumping on tables and chairs and doing all kinds of crazy shit with his legs...and then you wrapped your legs around him...EVERYONE in the club was watching you guys." He added pleadingly. In response, Danai turned her head and gave Andrew the most chilling side glance he had ever seen.

"He said both of us!" Andrew said defensively.

She tuned back and pointed her finger at him threateningly. "THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE! I swear to God, if you're lying..." She pointed her thumb at Andrew "...This GUY is gonna do a lot more crazy shit - this time with his fist - all over your face.

At which point Andrew took her by the arm and took a few steps back. "Okay, you need to calm down."

"Calm down? It's his job to check who comes and goes through here. It's his responsibility! And him being distracted is inexcusable."

"I agree! I agree...but threatening him is not going to change anything."

"Yes it is! If he's lying he's going to tell the truth."

"And if he isn't?"

"He's going to remember this and ensure that it doesn't' happen again."

"Maybe, but the point is your wallet is still missing."

"I'm well aware of the point, Andrew! It's my wallet that's missing. It's my money."

"Exactly.. So maybe we should focus more on finding it. Like maybe-"

"I think he's lying.." She said turning back to look at the bouncer again. "THE CAMERAS! Momma Fisch, we should go see her right now." She again walked away before Andrew could say anything.

"I was just gonna say that.." Andrew mumbled to himself and followed her.

They found themselves pushing through the crowd again, making their way to the corner of the club where a door led to the corridor that had stairs that led to Momma Fisch's office.

The guard at the door would not let them through. When Danai started threatening him, saying that Andrew 'would punch him through that door' if he didn't move, Andrew pulled her back and walked her towards the restroom area. Lauren came to their assistance and guided them behind the bar. She led them to the a storage room and closed the door behind them.

"CALL HER! CALL HER!" Danai yelled.

"I know, I KNOW!." Andrew replied back puling out his phone. He waited to her the ring tone, but... "She turned her phone off." He said apologetically.

"Wait, I have her number. Let me try." Danai pulled out her cell phone and tried calling her. "It's off."

"Yeah, I just told you that."

Danai wasn't willing to listen. "Keep trying, I'll do the same." She said hardly able to keep the anger out of her voice. They continued trying for several more minutes.

"Danai.." Andrew said carefully.

"WHAT?"

"Why don't you go back to our seat and let me see if I can get in. Let me talk to the guard..."

She felt rage and annoyance at him and everything around her. Willing herself not to cry, she took a few deep breaths and looked at him "You said you trusted her. You said she's keep her word that she's an honorable woman."

"Yeah, because she is. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't trust her."

She shook her head. "There's something else going on here...the bouncer is conveniently distracted. The other guy is not letting us in, she's not picking up her phone..."

"What're you saying?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying. She played us...she played me-

"No, Momma wouldn't do that."

"I sign over the papers she gives me a ticket stub. She saw me put in my wallet. And then my wallet disappears. You think that's all coincidence?"

"YES!"

"Well I'm not as trusting as you."

"That's an understatement."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Something goes wrong and you are so ready to blame anyone! You jump to conclusions and assume the worst. First it was the bouncer, then it was the security guard, now it's Momma Fisch - YOU got trust issues! Now I may not be ambitious or have goals and dreams like you. Hell, I may never even be as successful as you...But I'm always going to be able to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Because - Reality check Danai - you are always, always, going to need people in your life. You can't just question everyone's motives or keep them at arm's length and expect to do fine all by yourself. You can't live alone. No human being can."

"That sounds beautiful."

"Don't start-"

"-No I mean that Andrew. Honestly, sincerely I mean that. That is just beautiful, and I'm glad you feel that way. But some people don't have the luxury of feeling that way. I'm one of those people and that's MY reality. And so far, I've done just fine. As you said, I've kept people at arm's length, allowed them to peek into my life to know what I'm like - just enough for them to like me, because at the end of the day everyone wants something and that is why they... - Danai stopped mid sentence and looked at Andrew.

"Everyone wants something..." She repeated looking at him. Andrew folded his arms and looked at her uncertainly.

She continued. "You've been so helpful tonight..."

"If you're going to insult me-"

"No, Andrew I just realized how helpful you have been. In fact, you've been more than helpful..And you did it because you sister asked you to help her friend. So noble...and for everything you've done tonight and you never asked for anything in return. Who does that? "

As Andrew watched, her hands started to shake. There was a tremor in her voice, like she was about to choke.

"Danai...are you okay?"

"When Sonequa told me about you, she...she made you sound like a hero. And you were. I saw that tonight. I see why she admires you so much. You were so kind and considerate. So caring and sweet. You punched a man and defended my honor, you said you cared for me and you felt responsible because you brought me here. You vouched for me, you advised me against the deal with Momma because you thought I could get more. You made me feel so special, tonight.. Jumping up on stage, singing for me, asking me to dance with you who does all that?..." She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her eyes began to sting and then tears started to fall, as she looked into his wonderfully blue eyes.

Danai saw his hand reach out for her but she struck it away forcefully. "It wasn't Momma, it wasn't the bouncers, it was you...you set the meeting, you brought me here, you asked me to keep my bag in the car and I didn't. So you created that distraction to get me away from my bag... Ever since we walked in here you have been playing me and you did it so well..

"MEEE? ARE YOU NUTS?"

"NO, I SEE IT NOW." She yelled back as she gruffly wiped her tears away. "I wanted to believe it. For the first time in my life I had someone in my corner and I allowed myself to let me guard down. After having heard everything about you, it felt so good. Especially knowing it was you-" Danai struggled to form words as she took deep heaving breaths.

"Danai, you are hyperventilating. You need to calm down-

"You were so good, Andrew. OH MY GOD! You were so good. After everything you did for me tonight when you got on that stage and asked me to dance with you. I loved it. You were right, I wanted it and I jumped right outta me seat like an obsessed groupie. And when you took me in you arms and you kissed me, it felt so wonderful... FUCK ME! FUCK ME! FUCK ME!"

"NO! NO! NO! I didn't. I swear. All of that was not-" He moved closer to her and tried to touch her. But she pushed him back.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD...IT WAS YOU... You are working with Momma Fisch that's where you got the gun from. I told you I needed money and I told you about the deed. Once we were in there, Momma made it seem like she wanted to buy the place. And once I agreed to that everything went so smoothly, she even agreed to my terms like it was nothing. I signed over my apartment and the ticket stub goes missing. You distract me by pulling me out there and you then you chalk it up to some kind of robbery - no one's fault. FUCK YOU, ANDREW! I WANT MY MONEY OR MY PROPERTY and I'm not leaving here without it!

"ENOUGH!" He screamed and grabbed her arms. She fought against him and kicked him in the shins. Grunting, Andrew still held on and pushed her back against the wall whilst trying to restrain her arms. She tried to bite him in retaliation.

Pulling himself back, he grabbed her by shoulder and turned her around. Before she could try anything he secured his arms around her in a bear hug. Grabbing her by wrist he crisscrossed her hands together against her chest,. His biceps squeezed her elbows together to her sides making it impossible for her to move. She tried wriggling out of it but Andrew pressed her up against the wall.

"What are you going to do, take me out to your car and shoot me? 'cause that's what it's going to take to stop me." She spoke in contempt through her tears, turning her head the side to look at him.

"YOU DONE?" He snarled, with his lips close to her right ear.

"Why?"

"CAUSE I'D LIKE YOU TO CALM DOWN, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN! "

"Screw you!" Danai sniffed her nose, feeling angry and hurt. Unable to move and with nothing else to say she grudgingly waited for him to speak.

"You're angry and confused. I get that. With everything that's happened, the way it has happened, I would be too. But I did not con you. Momma didn't con you. Everything that happened was not some grand plan to screw you over. It was coincidence or fate or whatever you want to call it. But you're right about one thing, the gun...it's from Momma Fisch...because- HEY HEY!

Danai immediately tried to push him off her, but he held her tighter.

"I told you to listen. PLEASE!..." Once she had stopped he sighed and then spoke to her softly. "I used to work for her. I'm sure Sonny told you about how I ran away from the orphanage and how I used to babysit kids to get by. But here's the thing, no one was ready to trust their babies with a 16-year old run-away orphan. It was hard. Singing on the streets kept me from going hungry but it wasn't enough. I ran away to make sure Sonny was alright. But I had to able to take care of myself. I needed to make money to put clothes on my back, to buy medicine if I got sick. More than all of that, I needed enough money to get an apartment. 'Cause in two years Steven would turn 18 and he would have been asked to leave the orphanage. He was going to come and live with me or I'd have to ask him to find another place. I had already lost Sonny, she had found a good home, good parents. I couldn't lose Steven. He was the only family I had. I needed a place for him to stay. And I didn't want him to have go through what I did. So I looked for short cuts. Momma Fisch was a short cut. I joined up, went along with her boys to scare someone, to beat someone up."

"I hated it, but the funny thing was I was good at it. It didn't matter I was 16 or 17, I could look in someone eyes and put the fear of God in him. The planning, execution. It was like I had a natural instinct for it or something. Momma...she saw how good I was...she grew fond of me. But I was just in it for the money. I asked her to introduce me to people in the neighbor hood and then I got them to trust me with their kids. But I still worked for Momma Fisch. I couldn't just get out. A year and half into being Momma's right hand there was a territory dispute. Some asshole and his gang came at her with a gun. It freaked everyone out. No one had seen a gun in years. I think he was trying to scare us away from our territory. He fired a warning shot to scare everyone. We heard the shot, we saw the smoke and flash but I looked around for what he had fired at. And I saw nothing, there were no shell casings no dent on any of the surroundings. I ran at him and took him down. The gun was a fake, with fire crackers in it. The man got away, I gave the gun to Momma and then we went after him. The fight spilled out onto the streets, it got bloody. I took a crowbar and messed up his face and then I proceed break both his legs. Someone called out my name and I stopped. After that I got up and looked at what I had done. I had almost killed him."

"The person who had called out my name was Sister Sister Francis. She was passing by that area and she saw me. I had been lying to her just as I had been lying to Sonny and Steven. I had told them I was taking care of kids and singing on street corners. I had two mother figures in my life - Sister Francis taught me about being a good person, helping people, about music and how to play the guitar. Momma had shown me the path to power and to rule by fear.

Momma's way helped me make money, it helped me survive. Sister Francis was sickened and saddened by what she had seen me do. I went to see her, to seek forgiveness, but it was too late. She couldn't look at me the same way anymore. A few weeks she died. They told me her heart gave out or something... and I had to learn to live with guilt. I didn't have the guts to tell Sonny and Steven about any of this. After she died, I begged Momma to let me go. I told her about Steven and Sonny and why I was doing this. Maybe she liked me, maybe she took pity on me but she agreed. She called up some guy, got me an apartment, paid three months rent advance and handed me the keys to the place. Before I left, she gave me the gun. Like a parting gift, it was for my protection if anyone was to come after me or my family... if anything were to go wrong. At least I could scare people away. And that's why I know that she didn't con you. She wouldn't do it. That's not who she is. Because I know her and she knows me. And that's why everything went so smoothly with her."

Danai listened to him in silence as Andrew stopped to clear his throat. She realized that this was probably the first time he was talking about it. He brought his head down briefly and placed it on her shoulder. She felt the tiny beads of his tears spread over the shoulder of her shirt.

"I kept the gun ready, just in case. But I never had to use it. For the next year, I lived the way Sister Francis had taught me to. I played music, I knew more people so managed to get odd jobs, baby-sitted kids. My background inspired me to help people and I did the best I could. I wanted my family and Sister Francis to be proud of me. I wasn't making that much money but I was happy I was proud of myself. Then 6 months later, Steven came to live with me and we got by together."

He let her go and stepped back. Danai turned around to look at him as he stood with his hands on his hips and head bowed down in shame. Her tear strained face, her red eyes, did not look away from him. Instead they were transfixed on the man before her.

"I brought the gun with me tonight because I was coming back here. It was for our protection that's it! As for everything that happened...I didn't plan it."

He nervously ran his hands through his hair still keeping his eyes on the floor.

"I don't how to explain it but ever since I walked into your apartment...every minute I spent with you in the last 6 hours...I...it's like a piece of me - I didn't even know it, but it was like I was looking for something all my life...and It wasn't even clear to me what it was until I met you...and I found you and I wanted you...I wanted you..in my life.."

He stopped to rub his nose and then his eyes. "It felt like I knew you...like somehow I have known you all my life but we were meeting for the first time. And there you were this rich, successful, business woman with dreams and ambition...I..I had nothing to go up against all that...why on Earth would you be interested in me? So I did what I knew best. I wanted to impress you, I wanted to get your attention...and I did it the only way I knew how."

He raised his head to look at her."I'm not gonna lie. I have done a lot of gigs and met my share of women through and because of that. But I swear to God I have never gotten up on stage and called someone out, sung for them or asked them to dance with me. I did that for YOU..." He pointed at her.

"...because I wanted to do that for you. I wanted you to know that you are special."

"When we danced together, when I held you in my arms and when we kissed...It felt so right...like nothing had ever felt more right than that moment...like I was waiting for it...

-my whole life.." She finished for him.

He nodded at her feeling a heaviness inside his chest.

"After that when you asked me about the gun, I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't want you to know about my past... I was afraid you'd look at me the way Sister Francis did."

"I'm not Sister Francis." She said slowly. "But I don't condone the things that you did."

"I don't either..." He said looking her eyes. "I want you to understand something. I came to see you tonight fully intend on helping you because my sister asked me to help her friend. And I didn't ask anything in return because...Sonny and Steven are my family. That's a good enough reason in my book to do anything without ever having to ask something in return."

She lowered her "I know...I know..I.." With her back to the wall she slid down bending her knees. Andrew squatted down as well and looked at her.

After a pregnant pause, "I never had a family. I'm not used to this, Andrew."

"Used to what?"

"Having someone that I can count on...I'm like you...I'm an orphan." She cleared her throat. "Except I was adopted a long time ago. My big luxurious apartment..that was my home. The people who adopted me...my parents...they didn't want me...nobody ever wanted me."

"Then why did they adopt you...why did they keep you?" He asked in contempt.

"There was a inheritance to be gained by my 'dad'from his father. All he had to do was get married, have kids stay...stay married with kids for 10 years... to make him eligible for it. He didn't want to get married, he didn't want to have kids...So he faked it. Him and one of his girlfriend got married, they adopted me to show that they had a child. For 10 years I grew up believing that I was their real child. But they were so distant, I just wanted to love me. I thought I was horrible that it was my mistake...they were never around..always travelling never at home. I had a caretaker - Mrs. Hemmings and she was paid to take care of me...cause they didn't want to. I was given everything, sent to best school in DC, etiquette..everything except a family."

"I wanted to make them proud, I studied hard, did well in my extra curricular activities. Won so many medals and cups so I could show it to them when they came home every month. They would look at it smile and say 'congratulations'. And then they took me out to dinner and show me off to their relatives and friends...They had to keep up appearances! They didn't want me but they needed me to get what they wanted the money." She lowered her head and pressed her face against the palm of her hands. After a while she raised her head up and smiled at him bitterly.

"So they allowed me to grow...they allowed me to exist in their lives. Of course once the 10 years were up they got their money. That night they came home and celebrated. It was the happiest I had seen them. They said that 'all of us were finally leaving this place for good.' I thought things were going to get better, I thought I'd be going away with them...that I'd be finally living with my parents." She shook her head and laughed at herself. "They were gone the next day. Mrs. Hemmings was tasked with telling me everything and she was paid well for it. It broke me...I'm still broken...To avoid any ugly questions from relatives and friends, Mrs. Hemmigs was asked to take me away and raise me till the age of 18. We went to Richmond, that's where she lived and she was paid enough to look after me... I left after I was 18, a few years later she died and this apartment was left in my name. The timing was perfect, I was thinking of moving to DC. Big city more business opportunities. I guess the apartment was a'thank you' for everything I had put up with..."

"Or maybe they were apologizing..." Andrew remarked.

Danai reached over and held his hands. "I'm sorry. You were there for me tonight which is what I always wanted...someone in my corner. When things started going wrong, it was easier for me to believe that it wasn't real..that you were doing all of it for the money..I always keep telling my self that it's me against the world...tonight that wasn't the case... Shit! The things I said... I am so sorry, Andrew. I'm very-"

Andrew shrugged in response. "-Hey. come on. It's alright. Besides you called me a 'bastard'...and I am one!"

She laughed out coughing a bit. "I'm a bastard, too, you know."

Andrew fell back laughing, closing his eyes. He sat back up crossing his legs under him. "No...No..." he shook his head holding her hands tighter. "You're one of us..."

"Thank you..."

"..I'm sorry about your shitty parents."

She smiled at him. "They aren't my shitty parents. They're just some assholes that adopted me"

"That's the spirit."

"Complete and absolute assholes." She cursed sweetly.

"Absolutely." He said squeezing her hands together. "Now what do you say we get up and go see Momma Fisch?"

"How? She's not picking up her calls."

"She bad with phones or anything that involves technology. Her phone probably ran out of juice and she forgot to charge it."

Andrew pulled out his phone again and looked for a number. "You remember the girl who approached me in the club."

"Yeah. She was there in the office standing right behind Momma Fisch."

"Yep. Her name's Bina and she's Momma's right hand."

"Oh..."

"That used to be me...Anyway, I asked you to go back to your seat because I didn't want to call her in front of you."

"Yeah, I would have asked how you knew her. Or at least would have thought about it."

"Right...But now that you know everything..." He placed his phone to this ear. "Hello..Vrindha.."

10 minutes later they were back in Momma Fisch's office. Unfortunately, she was not there. After their meeting she had left for the airport to a catch a flight to Los Angeles. Momma Fisch had business to attend to and nobody could reach her on the phone. Andrew explained what had happened and Bina apologized, but said there was nothing she could do.

Bina promised she would ask the men to wait with the money but ultimately they needed the ticket if they wanted the money tonight. Or else Momma had to intervene, and expressly state the money be given to Andrew and Danai. For which they had to wait until she was available on the phone.

Danai looked like she was about to interrupt with her own set of questions. But Andrew signaled her not to.

Finally, Andrew asked to see the footage of Danai's wallet being stolen. Andrew stood next to her as they watched the clip a few times. Danai felt her fist clench as she watched a scrawny looking fellow making his way to the VIP area. The bouncer was distracted by all the excitement, watching Andrew and Danai dance. The thief sneaked behind the guard and walked right inside. He went for the bag, opened it grabbed the wallet and left. The whole thing couldn't have taken more than a couple of seconds. Andrew patter her back softly asked her not to get mad. After watching it a couple more times he thanked Bina and bid goodbye.

He took Danai's hand and made their way outside.

"What is it?" She asked walking along side him, pulling her handbag over her shoulder.

Andrew simply shook his head and continued to exit the Club. They made their way to his car and cnce they were inside, he started the it and turned the A/C on.

"Why did you stop me? We could have asked Bina to come with us to the harbor. She could have explained to the men about our business deal with Momma and that would have been good enough. And that guy knew exactly what he was looking when opened my hand bag."

"They still wouldn't hand us over the money. And you are right he knew exactly what he was looking for...someone was playing us. It wasn't Momma. It was Bina"

"What, why? What I did to her?" She asked in outrage.

"You didn't do anything. It's all her...Do you remember the ticket sub that Momma gave you?"

"Yeah, a couple of inches long and it was black in colour."

"Exactly. I have seen a lot of those in my time. That ticket has a number. All you have to do is shine a U.V light over it. The men who keeps the money in hand is aware of this number. That's all Momma tells them. The number represents what ever amount of money they are supposed to hand over to whoever holds the ticket. This is Momma's way of keeping the information separate from the recipient and the handler. The same way she keeps her money separate from her business. Now, when I was doing Bina's job Momma trusted me with handling the actual tickets. If something were to go (depending on how well we knew the person) I either gave another ticket or either accompanied the him/her to the actual exchange. Momma had given me the authority to do so."

"So why can't Bina do the same for us?"

"Because Momma doesn'tt trust her with it. Back inside, when I met with Momma alone, before bringing you in. I met with her to tell her not to mention anything about me or my past when she met you..."

Danai gave him a side glance."I thought you were going to tell her I was a client and how you had crush on me."

"Yeah...and that is why she had to be quite about my past.."

"Hmmm..."

"Hey, I am not lying..." He said touching her shoulder.

"I believe you...but that's a lot of lies in one night."

" True...but when I was in there she told me a few things like how she was trying to get completely legitimize her business. Everything she's doing now, this club, going to LA all of that is part of that. I wish she had mentioned that she was leaving tonight...but on the other hand she did ask me come back..the hospitality was all part of that..."

"Are you?" Danai asked him looking worried.

Andrew hesitated. "I thought about it or a while..If she's going legit...but then I thought about Steven and..." he looked at Danai. "I said 'no'..and she stopped talking about business... Anyway...Bina told me that there was nothing she could do, I immediately realized that in spite being Momma's right hand Momma didn't trust her completely. She did with me, but I guess after I left she needed someone she could trust."

"What's going on with Bina? You said she was playing us."

"Momma is directly handling the tickets. She told me that when we were in there. So when Bina said she couldn't do anything she wasn't lying. That told me Momma doesn't trust her...or at least not as well as me when I was around. So the only way we are going to get that money is if get the ticket back or if Momma tells her men to hand it over us. Now until we get Momma on the phone we can't do that. I hope she charges her phone when she gets on the plane..but we can't be sure until we get her on the phone."

"If you're trying to be dark and mysterious, Andrew. Please stop...'Cause I can't"

"Ha ha..I'm not, Danai. I swear. I want you understand what we're up against...and I don't want to keep anything from you."

"...Okay.."

"Bina had to know Momma was leaving...Momma probably asked her to get things ready for the flight. Including charging her phone."

"But she didn't that's why we can't reach her." Danai said now starting to understand.

"Exactly... When I told you to keep the bag in the car...I was just thinking that a night club can be crowded and noisy and it would have And you saw the guy on the tape. He went straight for your hand bag, opened it and took your wallet. He knew exactly what he was looking for."

"Because Bina was in there with us. She saw me put the ticket in my wallet."

"All she had to was wait for the right opportunity...and I gave it to her. " He added guiltily.

Danai reached across and rubbed his shoulders. "No use thinking about the past..."

"Look at you... all positive and trusting."

She grimaced at him. "It helps when you're honest. Now tell me what you're thinking...'cause I know you just thought of something crazy."

"Ahh...You know me so well.." He looked at her adoringly. "That scrawny little fucker who stole your wallet...I've seen him before. Remember in the apartment, I told about a guy who stole my wallet."

"Yeah, you said he was working for Momma Fisch. You found him, beat him up and that is how you met Momma."

"Yeah...some of that was a lie.."

"Another one?" She groaned

"I promise that's the last one."

"Fine. So this scrawny guy was the one who stole your wallet, all those years ago?"

"No. It was his boss. We were all working for Momma Fisch back then. But I was her favorite and I was making more money. He stole from me. Of course he didn't except me to suspect him since we were all on the same team. But I had natural instinct for this kind of thing. I found out, beat him up and told Momma. She was infuriated. Absolutely, hated the idea of stealing. So she cast him out. Bina was there with us at the time. But since she was the only girl, Momma was a bit protective of her. Didn't let her do in any the stuff that we used to. Instead, she kept her busy with 'accounting' and 'management'...Probably why she gave her my job, when I left...This guy who Momma cast out him and Bina were close... After he was kicked out...I kept tabs on him..just in case he tried anything to get back at me. But he didn't. Maybe he didn't have the balls for it or maybe he was afraid of Momma...either way nothing happened. He went on to start his own little gang of thieves..they stayed away from this neighbor hood or at least we thought we did.

"So Bina called this guy and he sent one of his guys to steal my wallet."

"His name is Ashton Charlie. I think he made it up to sound important. I used to call him 'Assly'. I always wondered how he had done it. His operation would have needed money, resources, brains, planning...Now it makes sense. It was Bina. She didn't expect me to recognize the guy when I asked to see the footage that's why she agreed to show it me. That's why I told you not to say anything in there. I didn't want her to think I suspected her... That guy couldn't have made it in the club without her knowledge. She probably put him in the guest list...Shit! I'm gonna have to tell Momma...It's gonna break her heart. But Bina has gotten greedy."

"Or since Momma is going to legitimize her business, Bina wants to take over." Danai theorized."In business terms...a hostile a takeover... If she and this Ashton Charlie are running their own operation on the side then she's the got the resources, people and now accumulating the money for it."

Andrew thought about Danai had said and then checked his watch. It was almost 3 AM in the morning. "If that's true then these are our options...Option A - I drive you home and we wait for Momma. Until we can get her on the phone. By which time Bina or Charlie is gonna cash in using your ticket and get 700 grand and you miss out on your deal with Mrs. Jenkins."

"Option B?"

Andrew smiled at her. "I drive you home and then go after Assly and his gang of merry bitches and get your wallet back. I become a bad guy again for one more night."

"OPTION A!" Danai said firmly.

"I thought this deal was important to you. You get to achieve your dreams if we get the money."

"And you said you had left that part of your life a long time ago. I don't want you to go back."

"Yeah, but it's fucking Assly...I can take that dip shit anytime, anywhere."

"Maybe, but you said he has a gang. It sound dangerous. I can't in good consciousness let you-"

"-You look really cute when you get mad." He said softly touching her cheeks.

She caught his hand firmly."SHUT UP! NO! I'm saying no. It's my money and I am deciding to let it go. There'll be other deals."

"Not like this one. That's what you said."

"Forget what I said. Let's just go...OPTION A!" She said squeezing his fingers.

He remained silent and then nodded his head. "Okay"

Andrew put the gear in 'R' and backed out the car from their parking spot.

Danai kept looking at him, studying his face. "You're not going to listen to me, are you? You're not going to let it go!"

"Of course I am. Option A. I'm going to drop you at your place and then I'm going to go back to my place because I'm really tired.

"I know you! And that was another lie.

"Okay... I'm going to drop you off at your place and then I'm going go after him. Bina is going to except me to go straight to the harbour and see if I can convince those guys to hand over the money. The club closes at 4 Am. She's going to be here till 5, she's gonna call them and ask if I came over there. And then she's gonna tell Charlie to send one of his guys over to get the money. 700 grand of your money. The money you earned for all the crap your crappy adoptive shit head parents put you through. The money that is going to get you the deal of your life...Your dream! Everything you worked so hard for. You think I'm gonna let fucking Assly and fucking Bina do that to you. Hell no! So yeah, I can't let that go."

"...In that case, I say we got option C - we go after them, together."

"We never discussed an option C and that is not going to happen."

"And I'm not letting you do this alone." She said crossing her arms over her chest.

"Doing something like this..it's not...I'm going to have to do things, Danai. I don't want you to see that...Please!"

"No! I made up mind. I'm coming with you."

"This is not my first time. I have done things like this before, I know how to handle it. But you don't. You'd putting yourself in danger."

She shrugged at him. "If you can't let this go, neither can I."

"Danai-"

"- After everything we've been through you really I think I can go home and just wait for knowing that you're going after these guys."

Andrew groaned in frustration and then looked at her determined face. He leaned over and kissed her. Softly stroking her cheek, he gazed over her lovely face. "You're really really stubborn. and mind numbing beautiful.

"I know." She replied back with a shrug.

"ARRGHHH" He screamed and playfully bit her neck, causing her to flinch in pleasure. Trailing his lips over her skin he whispered to her "Put your seat belt on."

He sat back and buckled his own belt. "No matter what happens, you stay in the car. That's the deal."

"I'll try." She said replied.

"Danai-"

"-Andrew."

He scowled at her and she frowned at him.

Shaking his head, Andrew put the gear in 'D' and pressed down on the accelerator with his foot.

"So where we going?" She asked him.

"Ashton Charlie..."

"Are you going to...hurt him?"

"Hope not, but it may go down that way."

Danai looked at him anxiously.

Andrew turned to look at her. "Don't worry, I got a crazy plan."

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 **A/N: This is going to get really nasty.**


	44. Richonne, The Proposal

_**Hi, guys. Sorry for the late update. I have been a little busy with a few things. Thank you Gdyoung59 and guests for your reviews. This month makes it 1 year since I began writing Richonne, always meant to be. So thank you all for continuing to come back every time there's a new update.**_

 _ **Here's** **the** **10'th part to the epilogue** ** _and Cha_ pter 44 : Richonne, The Proposal**_

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At the 3 in the morning the streets were practically empty and everything was quiet, as Andrew and Danai drove through the city.

"Timothy Gordon...he taught me how to box. He taught all of us how to box Everyone who joined Momma Fisch's group had to undergo training."

Andrew turned his head to look at her. She was sitting back against her seat, arms folded staring straight ahead looking worried.

"Two - three punches, max four, I could bring a guy down. The thing is I...I get angry and then scared. Timothy taught me how to keep my emotions in check. No matter what I am feeling, push it down and focus on what's in front of me. I wasn't as heavy as the others which allowed me to be quick on my feet. So all he had to do was teach me how to punch - fast and on point. It was all technical, how much balance, the swing, where you hit and how hard you do it.."

Danai breathed out and looked out the window.

"I still get scared.." he continued. "Not about getting hurt, but the after...the after part always scares me. What if I go to far, what if I get in trouble, the consequences...Which is why I end it quick...I'm trained for it. Momma wanted us to be able to handle ourselves."

"...Or hurt someone if and when she wanted you to." Danai interjected.

He looked at her again and then went back to looking straight ahead.

"Back at the club, when that guy put his hands on you...that's the first time I wasn't scared. I was mad..I wanted to tear him apart. I try to control it but I think I hit him harder than I meant to..I feel protective of you. Intentionally or not this is my fault. It was because of me that you lost your money. And now I'm gonna get it back."

"At what cost?" Danai asked still asked staring out the window.

"Don't you want your money back? I thought this deal was important to you. Now you're acting like it doesn't even matter."

"It's my money...of course it matters. I want it back and I want the deal...I worked my ass of for it and made it so far that it HURTS..it fucking hurts for me to even say it. But now,..knowing about the things that you had to go through and thinking about what you may have to do tonight...maybe I'm starting to feel protective of you too."

"I told you I can drop you off at your apartment. You don't have to come with me." He said quietly after a moment.

"You don't have to go.." Danai turned to look at him. Andrew looked annoyed but determined with his left hand on the steering wheel and the right by his side. "I have never been in a fight, not even an altercation. My brain has thrown out all the punches I ever needed to survive in life. Tonight when I saw Lauren in trouble I felt something wake up inside me. I wanted to protect her and I just went and slapped that guys hands off her. That's after talking to her for 5 minutes. Maybe she reminded me of my past, maybe it was something else...Point is, after everything I have been through tonight, with you by my side...you really think I can just home and not...think about you..not want to protect you."

"Dania-"

"-How many people this Charlie have?"

"7 or 8...maybe more"

"And you're going to what...fight all of them?"

"No! no... I told you I gotta plan."

Danai sat back against her seat and shook her head disapprovingly. She checked her watch and looked at him. "It 10 past 3, don't you have to be at work in the morning?" She asked him.

Andrew remained silent and then he turned his head to look at her. "I lost my job yesterday...and I was hoping I could tell you that a few days later..."

"What happened, why did you lose your job?"

"Come on, Danai..."

"I'm asking because I care Andrew."

Preparing himself Andrew told her exactly what happened, and not the revised version he had told Steven... "I was in sales...my numbers weren't good enough and...I'd skip work occasionally when someone I knew was in trouble or needed help. I'd tell them at the office that I had a client meeting or something, but it became too much and then my numbers didn't match all the 'meetings' that I was having so..."

Danai ran her hands over her face and settled back against her seat deciding not to say anything.

"What?" He asked her.

"Nothing."

"You think I was being foolish?"

"OH THAT WOULDN'T EVEN BEGIN- you know what...I'm gonna wait until all of this is over."

"I didn't do it for strangers. I knew those people. In so many different way they were there for me after Momma Fisch. I took care of their kids, ran errands for them... If someone's in trouble I can't ignore it."

"I am not saying you should change. In fact, I think it's very admirable about how much you can care about...everyone."

"You do, huh?"

"Yes, Andrew I do."

"Then why I can't you understand why I am doing this? If I can do that all that for everyone else...I'd do a lot more for you."

"Andrew-"

"-Think of me as you're knight in fucking shiny armor!...we're here!.

Andrew turned the steering wheel to the left, and the car served into a smaller street. They parked next to the pavement. Danai looked to her right to see a concrete wall.

"Do you see that building?"

Andrew pointed at a 5 storey building with faded paint. "That used to be Timothy's gym. He moved away last year and Charlie bought the place from him."

They were parked about a 100 feet away. Danai leaned forward from her seat and looked at the building and then turned to look at the determined expression on his face. "What're you going to do?"

He looked at her and shrugged. "Well, I can't fight all of 'em...I can't take the gun. He knows me and he probably heard the story about the gun, but he doesn't know that I have it. Either way I can't risk it. So I'm gonna have to distract them. He drives a red Mercedes... I'm gonna break a window, set of the alarm... lure him and his friends out..then I'm gonna sneak in, swipe your wallet - in and out!"

Danai was not convinced. "How do we even know if he's in there? And even if he is, he could have gotten rid of my wallet or the ticket could be hidden somewhere else."

Andrew shook his head. "I know him. He likes keeping trophies from his 'victims'. We used to come here everyday. 7-10 in the morning and 7-10 in the evening and he used to talk about how much he liked this place and wanted it! Timothy didn't leave on his own. This bastard did it. That's just the way he is. He likes taking what belongs to others. Makes him feel like a conqueror or some shit. He's still got the wallet and he's going to keep it."

Andrew flexed his arms and arched his back as he started getting ready to leave. Danai was starting to feel scared as she looked from Andrew to the building again.

"Listen.." Andrew leaned to her side and opened the glove compartment. He pulled out the hand gun and Dana1 stared at it wide eyed. It looked real - or as real as the ones in the movies. The last time she saw a weapon up close was when she visited the museum. Rick Grimes' famous Colt Python along with Michonne Girmes's sword, Daryl Dixon's crossbow, Maggie Green's Beretta, Carol's machine gun and knife, Sasha's Sniper rifle..." They were all there, up on their mantles for public display. A reminder of an era of violence, war and death. They were the remnants of all struggles and sacrifices that were made to rebuild civilization.

"No.."She shook her head.

But Andrew wasn't listening.

"This neighborhood is little more rougher that the other one. No matter what happens, you stay inside and keep doors locked!" He said firmly. "If anyone approaches the car point the gun at them. Don't get out and don't look frightened. Just point the gun through the window and threaten 'em like you mean it. You gotta really mean in it like this..."

Andrew pointed the gun at the dashboard and.."I'M GONNA BLOW FUCKING FUCKING HEAD OFF, MOTHERFUCKER! "

Danai looked at him in shock. The level of intensity in which he demonstrated his threat was absolutely terrifying. His eyes looked livid and his hand was firm and steady wrapped around the gun. He turned his head to look at her and his expression softened. "Don't worry... Even if you fire the gun there are no bullets in here. Just the sparks the noise that's it! Nothing to worry about. No kick back, just point and pull the trigger..."

Andrew took her right hand with his left, and placed the gun in her palm. "You keep this with you."

She held the gun in her hand, it wasn't as heavy as it looked. She looked at the gun for a while and then placed it back in the glove compartment.

"No." She said closing her eyes.

"Danai, it's okay. You don't have to use it. I'm just saying if any-"

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE GUN!..." She shouted.

Andrew pursed his lips and waited for her to finish.

"I'm talking about you." She said shifting onto the left side of her seat. "Let's just leave...we'll talk to Momma Fisch and tell her what happened."

"What about your deal?" Andrew asked looking annoyed.

Danai shrugged at him. "I'll talk to Mrs. Jenkins. If she can't she give me a few more days then screw it."

Frustrated, Andrew smacked the steeling wheel. "Come on! I'm giving you a solution to your problem and now you want to leave? I'm telling you I can do this."

Danai shook her head and turned away from him. "NO! I DON'T WANT THE MONEY! and even if you go in there and get the ticket I still don't want it. Not this way."

"No one's going to get hurt!"

"You don't know that Andrew."

"I'm asking you to trust me!" He urged, stressing each word.

"That's not what you're asking me. You're asking me to trust a scenario that you have no control over. Even if you get it there you don't know for sure where the wallet is or where the ticket is. You don't even know if Ashton Charlie is in there. Most of all you left all of this behind. You did it for you yourself, your brother and your sister. That means something, Andrew."

"And now what, you're willing to forget all of that?" Danai placed her hand over her chest. "For a girl you met today? If you walk in there then you are going back to it! And you're going to do it for ME! I AM NOT OKAY WITH THAT. THERE'S NO VERSION OF THIS THAT I AM OKAY WITH!"

"YOU'RE NOT SOME GIRL!" He said gritting his teeth. "I told you, you're one of us!...The best I've seen. I know how shitty our lives can be...a few people get lucky. Sonny got lucky, she was taken in by a nice couple. She's set for life. But that doesn't happen to everyone. People like you and me, we never got LUCKY! You wanna know why I got into this kind of life in the first place - I didn't know what else to do. I needed money! I need it fast for an apartment, for Steven and Sonny. I wanted stability, I thought Sonny would come and live with us but she was happy with her parents so I let it go! I let her go! I wish...I wish I was like you Danai...I wish I had a dream and maybe I could have worked myself towards it. But I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do or how the hell to do it. Music and violence those were the two things I was good at. Violence gave me an opportunity to make some quick bucks so I took it. I took a short cut in life because I didn't know what else to do with it!"

"But YOU didn't do that. You had it tough, you had shitty childhood, but that didn't put you down...you knew what you wanted to do with your life and you worked your way towards it. No excuses, no regrets, you JUST did it. And look how far you've come...that's not going to come to a halt TONIGHT because of 'ASSLY' OR MOTHERFUCKING BINA! I WON'T LET IT!

Andrew unfastened his seat belt. "So If I have to go in there and fight every one of those bastards to get that ticket!. Then so be it." He opened the door and as he was stepping out Danai removed her seat belt. She leaned to her left, placing her left hand on the driver's seat and her right hand on the door, preventing Andrew from closing it.

"Get back inside, NOW!" She yelled.

"I am doing this, I've made up my mind." Andrew replied back stubbornly with his left hand on the door that was held partly open by Danai, who was pushing it from the inside.

"Andrew, please...just listen to me." Danai applied looking up through the open the door, as she tried to balance herself with her left hand on the the driver's seat.

"I'm not going change my mind, now move your hand." Andrew replied back sternly as he watched her lay across from her seat to the driver's side, with her right hand on the door.

"I WANT YOU, ANDREW! Can't you understand that? I want you in my life. Just like you've been with me tonight."

"THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING." He yelled back. "I am being there for you... I'm protecting your dream."

"And I'm protecting your sense of morality!"

Andrew opened his mouth to argue back, but Danai wouldn't let him.

"There's a reason why you left all of this behind. You said it yourself, you did it for the money, you didn't like it. Because YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON! But when something goes wrong, when you want to help someone you keep going back to this, because this is the only way you have tried to solve any problem."

"It's the only way I know!"

"And if you don't stop, this is going to be your life! What you did for me in the club, even when I accused you, even when things got bad, you didn't leave my side. You stuck with me and you convinced me. That's the Andrew I want and that's the Andrew that Steven and Sonny loves and admires so much."

"I also got into a fight or did you conveniently forget that?"

"I didn't forget anything. You did that to protect to me. And you'd do the same for anyone you could help. But what you're doing now is knowingly walking into trouble, when you don't need to! It's incredibly compassionate of you to care so much. But you got to care about yourself too. And if you don't stop now, the next time you have a problem you're going to go back to doing this again... This is not how normal people live or deal with their problems."

"So what? It works, Danai. As much as I don't like it, it has worked for me."

"YOU'VE GOTTEN LUCKY! THAT'S IT! EVERY TIME YOU'VE PULLED THIS CRAP, YOU'VE GOTTEN LUCKY. This kind of life is always going to lead you down a path of darkness and misery. It doesn't solve anything, it creates new ones. And one day, that luck is going to run out and you're going to get hurt or hurt someone, like the way you broke that guys legs...which made Sister Francis look at you like a monster."

Andrew looked positively livid. Danai saw his knuckles tighten as he clenched the door and stared her down. But Danai didn't look away. "I don't think you're a monster, but if you keep doing this you're going end up as one. And even if you...even if you do I'll still want you, I won't leave you, I'll still be here... But I'm kinda hoping you don't cause that'd be better." She smiled at him. But Andrew scowled at her and turned his face away."

Pushing herself up with her left hand, she raised her right hand and clasped it over his knuckles. "I don't want you going in there not because I don't believe you can do this. But because that's not the kind of person you are. I don't want you go back to doing what you used to do. Violence and music are not the only things you're good at it. I believe you can do more. And the first step to doing that is getting back in this car. Let's go for a drive, let's get something to eat, sing me a song, flirt with me a little more, kiss me again...just get back in the car, Andrew."

He didn't move, he kept his face turned away. But Danai didn't let go of his hand. After a minute's hesitation, Andrew took one last look at the building and the at her anxious face. Pulling open the door wider, he told her in a gruff voice. "MOVE!"

Danai smiled at him as she straightened herself and sat back in her seat. Andrew entered and slammed the door in anger. He placed both his hands on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. He felt her fingers rub his shoulders and then her lips on his right cheek.

Andrew turned his head at her and gave her a reluctant look. She smiled at him and then reached for the keys on the ignition and started the car.

Dana pulled the seat belt over her body and fastened it. Smirking at her, Andrew fastened his own seat belt and then shifted the gear from P to D.

Their bodies were suddenly jerked forward, as something collided with the car from behind. The force of it propelled the car sideways and it rammed into the side of a concrete wall. Danai's forehead hit the glove compartment, whilst Andrew's forehead hit the steering wheel.

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 _ **A/N: We're getting close to the end of the story, in fact we're almost there. I can't wait to share it with all of you. So just stick with me for a few more updates!.**_


	45. Richonne, Knight in shinning armor

_**My sincerest apologies to everyone. I got a little busy and this one was a big chapter. If I were to put it out earlier, then I would've had to split it into two chapters. Didn't want to do that with this one. You'll see why when you read it. Thank you Guests for your reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed it and was able to connect it with Richonne's 'past'. That's really been one of the reasons for writing the epilogue.**_

 _ **This is a long one, so sit back and relax and let's begin the 11'th part to the epilogue and Chapter 45: Richonne, Knight in shining armor.**_

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Pushing herself up with her left hand, she raised her right hand and clasped it over his knuckles. "I don't want you going in there not because I don't believe you can do this. But because that's not the kind of person you are. I don't want you go back to doing what you used to do. Violence and music are not the only things you're good at it. I believe you can do more. And the first step to doing that is getting back in this car. Let's go for a drive, let's get something to eat, sing me a song, flirt with me a little more, kiss me again...just get back in the car, Andrew."

He didn't move, he kept his face turned away. But Danai didn't let go of his hand. After a minute's hesitation, Andrew took one last look at the building and at her anxious face. Pulling open the door wider, he told her in a gruff voice. "MOVE!"

Danai smiled at him as she straightened herself and sat back in her seat. Andrew entered and slammed the door in anger. He placed both his hands on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. He felt her fingers rub his shoulders and then her lips on his right cheek.

Andrew turned his head at her and gave her a reluctant look. She smiled at him and then reached for the keys on the ignition and started the car.

Dana pulled the seat belt over her body and fastened it. Smirking at her, Andrew fastened his own seat belt and then shifted the gear from P to D.

Their bodies were suddenly jerked forward, as something collided with the car from behind. The force of it propelled the car sideways and it rammed into the side of a concrete wall. Danai's forehead hit the glove compartment, whilst Andrew's forehead hit the steering wheel.

Dazed, Andrew shook his head and looked at his side view mirror. A red Mercedes and two other cars right behind, with their engines running, waited expectantly. The front bumper of the Mercedes looked dented and then he saw a familiar face stick it's head out the driver's side.

"KNOCK KNOCK, MOTHERFUCKER! GUESS WHO?'

Andrew clenched his jaw and turned his head to look at Danai who looked confused and dazed. She was holding her forehead in pain, as she stared back at him.

"Whatchya doing here, Andrew?" The voice called out again.

Danai tried to turn her head back and look back, but Andrew pushed it down.

"It's Charlie." He whispered. "I think he didn't see you, so stay in the car. I'm going to lead them away and you're going to drive back to your apartment-DONT ARGUE. JUST DO IT!"

With that Andrew stepped out of the car and started walking towards them. Charlie got out of the car, along with the rest of his gang. There were a total of 9 of them.

Andrew tried to ignore the pain in his head and tried to focus on Charlie. He had put on more weight and muscle since the last time Andrew had seen him. "I missed you.." Andrew said sarcastically. "...actually I missed beating the crap out of you!"

"Really" Charlie said laughing to himself. "..Alright then, come on." He slammed the door to his car and stepped forward along with the rest of his gang.

Andrew eyes moved from left to right, sizing them up. Taking one more step forward, he quickly turned to his right and ran into an alley.

Charlie and his gang took off right after him.

Shocked by everything that had just happened, Danai finally sat back up and looked around her. She looked at Charlie's car that was parked behind them and then at the alley Andrew had ran into. She sat there breathing heavily, listening to the eerie silence, not knowing what to do. She didn't know how long she had sat there like that, but as soon as her mind started forming images of Andrew lying hurt somewhere, Danai moved into action.

Andrew had left the door open as he had ran out. Climbing over to the driver's side Danai turned to look at the alley again and then closed the door. Arriving at a decision, she started the car.

...

The scrawny looking man, who had stolen Danai's wallet, peered through the darkness trying to use the light from the distant street lamp. They had chased Andrew through the alleyway and had taken a right to a street. But Andrew was too fast and they had lost him after they had turned right. Charlie hissed in anger to split up, taking 4 along with him to check one lane, while the scrawny looking man was asked to check the same lane with the other 3. With a wall in between the two lanes, either way was a dead end, they knew it and so did Andrew.

The light from the street lamp reflected off the trash cans that were on the corner of the street. It caught the man's eye causing his gaze to linger over them for a second longer. Suddenly, he saw a shadow pop up and one of the trash cans hurl towards him. He ducked before it hit him. The can crashed into two of them that was behind him, catching one on the head and the other on his face.

Andrew charged out pushing the scrawny man onto the floor. The fourth man, who had missed the trash can, tried to take a swing at Andrew. But Andrew slipped the punch and swung his left knee into the man's midsection. The impact of it brought the man to his knees. Clenching the fingers of his right hands, Andrew unleashed two powerful hooks consecutively into the right side of the man's temple and knocked him out.

The other three were trying to get back up. But Andrew focused on the scrawny man was scrambling to get back to his feet. He kicked him in the groin which caused him to fall back down clutching himself in pain. Not wasting anymore time, Andrew squared off against the other two men, who had pushed off the trash can from top of them and was back up on their feet. They were bleeding from the head and looked absolutely murderous. Andrew's eyes darted from the guy on the left to the guy on the right.

A punch and a kick flew in his direction, but Andrew was too fast for them. Dodging their furious attacks, Andrew quickly rounded the guy on the left and threw a few vicious combinations at his head and ribs, whilst using him to block the other guy. He felt his knuckles stiffen in pain as it came in contact with his nose. The man started to wobble as he tried to stand still with a bleeding face.

Running at him, Andrew pushed him hard into the guy that was behind him. They toppled back, falling over each other. Using his knees, Andrew pressed his weight over the man's chest preventing the guy beneath him from getting back up. As the man tried to grab at him, the odor of alcohol hit his nostrils. Andrew quickly slapped at his flailing hands. Using the body of the man between them as a barricade, Andrew threw some heavy jabs into the other guy's mouth, nose and eyes and then proceeded with a left and right hook to either sides of his head. Turning around, Andrew then reached across for the discarded trash can. Grabbing it by both hands, he raised it over his head.

Reeling and grunting in pain, unable to breathe, they tried to raise their arms in plea. But something else had taken over Andrew, something he had buried away a long time ago. He was like a wild animal acting on pure instinct, fueled by rage. He brought the down trash can hard, repeatedly hitting them with it. They tried to block it with their hands, but broke their fingers in the process.

Andrew hit them again and again in the face and their chest, until he realized they weren't moving anymore. He dropped the trash can in fear as he realized what he was doing. Dropping the can to his side he moved his knees from the man's chest, and placed them on either sides, on the ground. His hands were shaking as he looked for any signs of life. And then he saw their chests rise up and down, and breathed a sigh of relief.

WHAM! The sole of a shoe connected with the right side of his head almost knocking him out. Andrew fell on his side, as he heard someone scream "I GOT HIM! I GOT HIM...CHARLIE!... CHARLIE!"

It was the scrawny man and he had kicked him hard, causing a small tear of his flesh, along the side of Andrew's head. Cringing in pain Andrew clasped over the injury feeling the blood dripping from it. Slightly disoriented, Andrew tried focusing on where the voice was coming from. Andrew saw the man standing over to the side of where he had fallen. A kick to the left knee, the man buckled in pain. Pushing himself up, Andrew saw the man raising his leg to kick him again.

...

Charlie having heard the cry and the ruckus, turned back around to look at the wall that obscured his view from the other lane.

"COME ON!" He screamed at the four guys that were with him. They ran along the road and circled the bend right into the lane. What they saw nearly made them stop at their tracks.

Andrew was getting back up. The scrawny man was lying on the ground with his eyes shut, completely unconscious. A few feet from him, two of their guys were lying on top each other, bleeding from their faces. The fourth guy was lying on his side and by the looks of it, he had regained his consciousness and was starting to stir.

Andrew felt dizzy as he stood up. He held the right side of his head and then in the distance he saw Charlie and four of his men looking back at him in shock.

 _'OH COME ON!'_ Andrew pleaded in his head _. 'Just go...FUCK OFF, ALREADY!'_

They clenched their fists and pulled their chests in, and started running towards him. Groaning to himself, Andrew looked to his side and picked up the trash can by it's handle.

As they got nearer to him he swung it at them threateningly. The five of them circled around him, looking for a way in. His hands and fingers felt sore. Tired and outnumbered, Andrew knew he wasn't going to win this one. But he wasn't going down without a fight. Turning around he swung the trash can right into Charlie's jaw. Charlie fell on his back, with his hands over his mouth, howling in pain

The other four quickly grabbed and restrained him from all sides.

A knee rammed into his ribs, causing him to lose his grip on the handle of the trash can, and then it fell. Then a punch to his face, under his right eye. His knees began to buckle away as he felt a flurry blows from all sides. His arms were restrained behind his back

He was bleeding from his mouth and his nose, and his head was spinning. Charlie had got back up, holding his hand over his jaw. "Hold him up." He said menacingly. They held him up to stop him from falling.

He punched Andrew across his face, as hard as he could. Andrew head swung to the right, reeling in pain. But he still had a some fight left in him. He pushed his head forward and head-butted Charlie.

Although he managed to hit him, Charlie laughed back at him. "Pathetic! Let me show you how it's done." Charlie headbutted him hard, causing Andrew to snap his head back in pain. Charlie punched him a in the belly and kneed him in the groin. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt "What're you doing here, Andrew? You didn't just show up to pick a fight? Why tonight...what's going on?"

Andrew tried opening his mouth to say something offensive but his jaw felt sore. The flesh on his face was starting to swell.

"What, I didn't get that.." Charlie mocked him "Tell you what..." Charlie turned around and looked at the trash can."..You don't have to say anything...I'm gonna use that can and mess up your pretty face, permanently. Then I'm gonna use it to break each and and every one of your fingers...Can't box or play your guitar without your fingers..."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" A voice screamed from behind Charlie. The sound of the voice sent a jolt through Andrew's body. His eyes snapped open in shock and looked behind Charlie in fear.

...

Danai finally sat back up and looked around her. She looked at Charlie's car that was parked behind them and then at the alley Andrew had ran into. She sat there breathing heavily, listening to the eerie silence, not knowing what to do. She didn't know how long she had sat there like that, but as soon as her mind started forming images of Andrew lying hurt somewhere, Danai moved into action.

Andrew had left the door open as he had ran out. Climbing over to the driver's side Danai turned to look at the alley again and then closed the door. Arriving at a decision, she started the car.

She reversed it and turned it around facing the opposite direction, ready for them to leave. Unable to believe what she was doing, she reached for the glove compartment and withdrew the gun. She recalled what Andrew had said.

 _'I can't take the gun. He knows me and he probably heard the story about the gun, but he doesn't know that I have it. Either way I can't risk it.'_

"Well, Charlie doesn't know me." Danai told herself. She got out of the car and locked it.

 _'threaten 'em like you mean it. You gotta really mean it, like this...I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF, MOTHERFUCKER!'_

Danai tried practicing what Andrew had told her, by pointing the gun at her scared looking reflection in the window. It was useless, she was too nervous. Gulping down, she wiped the sweat from her face and then ran towards the alley.

With every step she took, she could hear her own heart beat. She couldn't believe that less than two hours ago, she was in club dancing with Andrew. And now she here was, prowling through an alley with a fake gun in her hands looking for him, and bunch of thugs.

As she came to the end of the alley there were still no sign of them, until she heard someone screaming in the distance. "I GOT HIM! I GOT HIM...CHARLIE!... CHARLIE!"

Firmly gripping the gun with both hands, Danai took the right from the alley. Step by step she walked quietly staring straight ahead. And then she saw the familiar silhouette of Andrew holding what looked like a trash can. Five men were running towards him. There were bodies on the ground - two men lying one over the other. Two other men, one lying on his back and the other on his side.

Danai froze as she took in the scene. Realizing what Andrew had done and what was going to happen next. The fight broke out. Andrew hit someone with the trash can and he fell down. The other four men converged on Andrew from all sides and restrained him. They began to hit him and suddenly Danai didn't feel afraid anymore.

Her past, the way her parents were to her, had taught her to keep her emotions in check. She applied the same when it came to business, which allowed her to look at things objectively. She rarely got angry. But tonight was different. Andrew had managed to evoke her emotional side, in a way she never thought it was possible. And then he got her to trust him, to allow herself to open up to him.

Danai couldn't let him go back to doing what he used to do, even if it meant she could lose everything she had worked towards. And she certainly couldn't just leave him here and drive away like he told her to do. Danai cared for him. And more importantly, for the first time, she felt like she had found someone to call her own. Now as she watched him getting beaten up, she felt something snap in her. Something she had never felt her whole life - _rage!_

She didn't care there were 5 of them. It didn't matter she had a fake gun, all that mattered was Andrew was in danger and she had to save him.

"Tell you what..." Charlie turned around and looked at the trash can."..You don't have to say anything...I'm gonna use that can and mess up your pretty face, permanently. Then I'm gonna use it to break each and and every one of your fingers...Can't box or play your guitar without your fingers..."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" She roared, authoritatively. Clutching the gun in both hands, she pointed the gun straight at Charlie.

Andrew eyes snapped open in fear. _'What're you doing? Get outta here'_ He screamed in his head as her saw her a few feet away, and then saw the gun and realized what she was doing.

"WOAH..WOAH..Take it easy." Charlie said raising his hands in confusion, wondering who this was.

"Metropolitan PD! Hands in the air and get down on your knees."

Andrew gazed at her with his mouth open. The rage, the fire in her eyes. It was if she had changed into a different person. She looked like a warrior ready for battle.

"Hey, I paid my due for the month. You might be new or something but there is an understanding between cops and me. This neighborhood is mine, and cops keep-"

BANG! Danai fired the gun, almost flinching at the sound. It was louder than she expected. Everyone except Andrew cowered in fear, wondering who did she fire at. Andrew smirked at her and nodded. Danai blinked back at him in acknowledgement, realizing she had established control over the situation "I SAIDDDD HANDS IN THE AIR AND GET DOWN-"

"OKAY, OKAY!" Charlie cried in fear. He raised his hands and got down on his knees as did the rest of his gang. Andrew felt his arms being released from their grip. He pulled them away and kept standing, waiting for Danai's instructions.

"I don't see a badge!"

Danai took a few steps forwards, pointing the barrel of the gun at Charlie's head. "It's in here. Wanna come closer and take a look?"

Charlie moved his head back in fear.

"I am not here about your agreement." Danai said confidently. She looked towards Andrew. "I'm here about him...Andrew's my boyfriend and I do not appreciate YOU or ANY...MOTHERFUCKER hurting him!"

A smile spread across Andrew swollen looking face, with angry red marks, a bloody nose and bloody mouth.

Charlie turned his head back and looked at Andrew and then at her, with his mouth open. "Well, your boyfriend beat up four of my friends and hit me with a trash can." He sneered.

Danai looked him in the eyes "You of all people should know how hard Andrew can hit." The sneer on Charlie's face vanished and Charlie turned his face away in humiliation. "Knowing that you shouldn't have bothered him - HEY, LOOK AT ME!"

Andrew caught him by the back of his head and turned it towards Danai."I don't care what happened to you or your friends. All I care about is what happens next - what happens to Andrew. As far as I'm concerned THIS is over! Andrew is coming with me and that's that. If you come after him then I'll come after you and your friends...AM I CLEAR?"

Andrew tapped him on the back of his head. "She asked you a question."

"Yes!" He replied grudgingly.

Danai looked at Andrew, who winked back at her. "Come on..let's go." She said sternly.

Andrew took a few steps forward clutching at his side. "Hold on." He turned back to look at the kneeling Charlie and punched him across his face. "...And that's how it's done." Andrew said with a grunt, holding his side. Charlie fell on his back with his hand over his face, wincing in pain. "Bye,... 'Assly'"

Danai scowled at Andrew, as he turned back around and gingerly walked towards her. "Was that necessary?" She asked him.

Andrew shrugged at her, with a guilty looking smile. She lowered the gun and put her right arm around his waist as he put his left arm over her shoulder.

"If he ever comes back here again. He's a dead man." Charlie called back threateningly to Danai, with his hand over his mouth.

"He's never coming back." She said turning back to look at Charlie, and then at Andrew. "Never!" Andrew swore to her.

With his arm over her shoulder and her arm around his waist, Andrew and Danai turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

The rest of Charlie's gang helped him back to his feet. "Why did you come here, tonight?" He asked again.

"To remind my self why I left." Andrew answered over his shoulder.

...

Andrew swore in frustration as he saw the dents, smashed in bumper on his car.

Danai insisted that she drive and helped him into the passenger seat. She kept looking behind her to see if they were following them and hurried over to the driver's side. She quickly got inside and started the car and turned on the AC in full. The air felt refreshing as it hit them in the face. Putting the gear in 'D' they took off into the empty streets of D.C

Andrew sat back against the seat and started to feel the pain emanate from the bumps and bruises. He looked over to his left and saw the concerned expression on Danai's face, as she kept checking the rear and side view mirror. After driving for ten minutes, and making sure that they were not being followed, Danai pulled over to the side of the road and unfastened her seat belt.

"Are you okay? Are you in pain..?" She asked him anxiously.

"I'm fine.." Andrew said as casually as he could.

"Cut the crap, Andrew!" She scolded him.

He sighed and lowered his head. "I don't think anything's broken..I'm in pain...but I'm okay..." Andrew reached across and laid his hand over her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Danai stared back at him wide-eyed. She didn't know what to say. After a while, she shrugged and then started laughing, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. A few tears streamed down her face.

Andrew couldn't help it, he started laughing along with her. "Jesus! You were incredible back there. I mean, holy Christ...I've done some crazy shit but that was...It was smart, how you handled those guys...'wanna come closer and take a look'- that was so bad ass. Is Taxi Driver ever had a sequel...I could totally see De Niro sayin' that line.

She laughed back and sniffed her nose, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Well.." She said, as her voice shook nervously. "I've been watching you all night...pick-picked up a few things." She retorted while rubbing her eyes.

"You were incredible back there...but that was dangerous. You should have gone home."

"Would you've gone home?"

"No...But I'm the idiot who just tried to take on 9 guys on my own and got my ass kicked...I'm sorry for making you go through that. I just wanted to get them away from you and I didn't know what else to do... I'm sorry, Danai."

Danai reached for his hand and squeezed it. "I thought I'd be mad at you...But I'm not. You got back in car, Andrew. Whatever happened next was them..not you. They came after us. You did what you thought was best. I understand that. But I was so scared. I didn't know where you were or what was happening to you..I couldn't go..And when I saw them hitting you, something snapped in me. I got so mad, I wanted to...hurt them. I wished the gun was real so I could shoot them...It felt so weird, Andrew...yet somehow...familiar. Like I've done it before.."

"Yeah, I know the feeling..." He removed his seat belt and moved close to her. Caressing her cheek with his right hand, he kissed her and embraced her as tight as he could. "You were looking out for me...I never..had that. I never had anyone to save me. It's always been the other way around...thank you, Danai...He closed his eyes feeling warmth of her body, knowing he was safe."Thank you" He repeated.

She smiled and teased him, as she embraced him with her left arm. "That couldn't have been easy to say...especially that last part."

"Maybe..But I can say it a 100 times. Thank you for saving me, Danai. Not just for coming back for me..for talking to me out of going after them in the first place. You were right...When I was fighting those guys, I nearly killed two of 'em...I think I heard you in my head and I stopped smashing their faces in with a trash can...Does that scare you?"

"No... I know you..You are a good person. That's why I didn't want you to do it in the first place."

"It was like you said. All these years, doing things like this..I got lucky and I believed I could get out of anything... Tonight, my luck almost ran out, until you showed up."

She stroked his hair and pulled her head back to look at him. She gazed over the bruises and the blood on his face. Amidst all of it were some of his tears. She quickly searched her handbag for her handkerchief. Using it, she slowly wiped it all away. Andrew snickered as he felt the softness of the cloth and then he caught it's scent. The sweet unique aroma that only belonged to her.

After she was done, she kissed him softly over his lips.

"Mmmmm...baby it hurts everywhere...you should kiss me a little more."

She kissed him on either cheek and over his sore eyelids. "How's that, sweetie?"

He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. "I didn't think you'd come back for me."

She stroked the back of his head. "Well, I couldn't just leave my knight in shining armor behind."

"Guess that makes you _MY_ knight, huh" He said thoughtfully.

"Hmmm." Danai replied back thoughtfully." Well as your knight, I say we head to a hospital and have you checked out.

Andrew raised his head so fast, Danai thought someone was standing outside her window. She turned her head around and saw that there's no one there.

"No, the harbor." Andrew said quickly looking over to the clock on dashboard. It was 3:50 AM.

She argued back "You're hurt! We have to go to a hospital." She said turning her head to look at him. "Besides we don't have the ticket. There's no point-" She stopped when Andrew reached for his back pocket and pulled out her wallet.

"How did you-"

He smiled at her. "That's why I jumped them in the first place." Andrew explained. "That scrawny little shit was standing right there and I had to check...The other three were down and this son of bitch kicked me in the head.." Andrew turned to his side and showed Danai the cut on the side of his temple. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but it looked nasty."

"He thought he knocked me out...that's when he called out to Charlie. I took him down and then searched him. It was right there in his back pocket. I didn't have time to check the wallet, those guys showed up by then. So I just stuck it in my pocket.

She hugged him in joy and Andrew grunted in pain, as he hugged her back. "First, let's just make sure it's there."

Danai opened the wallet and... "YES! YES!" She said holding up the black colored ticket.

"Anything missing?"

Danai checked her wallet again. "No, except for all the cash..I had about 500 Dollars in here."

"They must have hit a bar or something. I smelled alcohol on one of them. "

Danai shook her head. "It's okay. At least I got it back." She held up the ticket again and looked at it. "How could something small be the cause of so much trouble?" Danai remarked astonishingly.

"Trouble's almost over...All we have to do now is get to the harbor."

Danai stared at the ticket and then looked at Andrew. "You're hurt, let's go to a hospital first and then-"

Andrew shook his head. "I'll live...but we can't delay this anymore. Charlie didn't know what was going on. That's why he kept asking me why I was there. I'm guessing Bina didn't tell him everything. He would have kept the wallet with him if she had. He probably didn't even know about the ticket...which means she doesn't trust him! She must have told him to steal it, but he couldn't come in the club so he sent one of his guys. Bina must have identified you as the mark, that guy stole your wallet and she asked him to keep it with him...When he saw me, he must known something was up..His guy steals from someone at Momma's club. Then I show up in his neighborhood"

"What about the man who stole from me...he could have recognized me."

Andrew shook his head. "I knocked his ass out, before even Charlie showed up. You came after that... He didn't see you. But when he wakes up and he finds out what happened, he could tell Charlie about you. Charlie can be stupid but he's not dumb! He's gonna put two and two and together or he's gonna call Bina for answers. Either way, we got to get to the harbor, get the money and get back to your apartment as fast as we can."

Danai looked back at him thoughtfully. "Andrew-"

"-Knight in shining armor! You save me, I save you. Now's it's my turn again..." Andrew reached across and turned the ignition.

"Fine! But after that we're going straight to the hospital." Danai said sternly, pointing her finger at him.

"Deal!"

Danai rolled her eyes at him. She reached for the gear and put into drive. After checking the side view mirror for any oncoming vehicle, she released her foot off the brake pedal and drove back onto to the road. "I still think we should go to the hospital first. You're hurt...we're talking about your health-your well being!"

Andrew sat back, fastening his seat belt. "Now, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't put the needs of _my_ bad-ass girlfriend first."

Danai kept her eyes on the road, but a smile passed over her face.

Andrew cleared his throat and said it again. "Now, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't put the needs of _my_ bad-ass girlfriend first."

"The kind that _listens_ to his bad-ass girlfriend."

...

It was almost 4:30 am when they reached the harbor. It took them a while to spot the two guys they were supposed to meet. They decided to be a little more careful this time, circling around the area a couple of times to make sure no one else was there. Once they were sure, they parked the car in a corner away from sight. Andrew exited the car leaving Danai inside to keep watch over him. She kept the gun in her hand and watched as he handed off the ticket. It was examined by one of the two men and after confirmation he nodded to the other guy. After a few minutes or so, he came back wheeling a large maroon travel bag. Andrew asked them to wait and opened the bag to verify the contents. He blinked a couple of times as he stared at 700,000 dollars and took a deep breath. Not having time to count all of it, he simply shifted through the stacked row of dollar bills, to make sure all of it were actual dollar bills, and then closed the bag.

Andrew bid them goodbye and then wheeled the bag back to the car. He put the bag in the back seat and climbed in the front. "It's all there, I think. We'll need to count it, once we get back to your apartment."

Danai breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost over, she thought to herself. She started the car and drove it back to the apartment. The clock on the dash read 5:05 am as Andrew's phone started ringing. He groaned as he saw the name displayed on the phone. "Steven...I was supposed to pick him up at 5. I completely forgot." Andrew declined the call and sat back thinking what he was going to say.

"We can go pick him up. It's alright. Where's he?" Danai suggested

"No! We're not driving around with 700 grand in the car...And I don't want him to see me like this."

"Where's he?"

"He' just started working at Michonne's - 604 F Street."

"Coffee house or the fast food joint?"

"Fast food. Daryl Grimes opened a lot of those after his coffee house took off..."

"Is this place on the way?"

"No, we got to go further East...It will take another 30 minutes...I'll call him."

"Where are you?" Steven asked, sounding half-annoyed and half angry.

"My boss called. He asked me to come into work. There was a client-I'll tell you later. How was work? Tell me all about your first day..eh..I mean night."

"IT WAS BAD, Alright!I have a jack-ass for a boss and...IT SUCKS! OKAY? That's how my night went.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But-"

"-I'm tired and I just want to go home and sleep. Where are you? When're you coming to pick me up?

"I'm gonna be late. It's this work thing-"

"After all these years, you think I don't know when you're lying to me? You're off _helping_ someone and you want me to take the bus. Just say it."

"Steve, I'm sorry. I-

"FINE!" Steven hung up in anger."

Sighing to himself, Andrew sat back feeling guilty and disappointed.

"Hey.." Danai reached out with her right hand placed it over his knee." Andrew placed his left hand over her's and grimaced back at her.

"You could tell him, and Sonny." She suggested.

"Danai-"

"-I'm sure they'd understand."

"Make a left here."

Danai retraced her hand and placed it back on the steering wheel to make the turn.

"Look, I get it." Danai continued. "They look up to you. In their minds you're on a pedestal and you don't want to take that away from them. And that's not going to happen if you tell them the truth.

"You can't be sure of that."

"Yes, I am. They're your family. You practically raised them."

"Exactly. I can't just tell them what I used to do."

"No, that is exactly the reason why you can tell them what you used to."

"Why?"

"Because they know you, A _ndrew!_ They know who you are and they love you! They will understand"

"You really think so?"

"I did." She grinned at him. "And I only met you last night."

Andrew leaned across and kissed her on her shoulder, whispering "Thanks."

"Hey, I'm driving..."

He responded by playfully biting her shoulder, causing her to giggle "St..o..ppp..." She said pushing him back.

...

The first rays of sunrise hit them at they exited the car. Andrew stretched painfully, as the effects all of the punches and kicks began to set in. He lit up a cigarette and took a deep puff, as if it was a breath of fresh air.

Danai closed her eyes for a second as she leaned back against the car. Her face felt warm and her eyes seemed to emit heat waves. She rubbed her face, trying to wipe the exhaustion away, and opened her eyes.

The smell of smoke caused her to turn around and look at Andrew. She scowled at him, puffing away on his cigarette. "Come on...I haven't had one in hours." He said defensively.

Choosing to remain silent, Danai locked the door and put the keys in her pockets. As soon as she circled around and reached his side, Andrew put the cigarette out and put his arm around.

They looked up at the morning sky and then at then at each other, both wondering the same thing. _'Did all of that just happen last night?'_

With his arm over her shoulder and her arm around his waist, Andrew and Danai walked towards her apartment building. The doorman wished them good morning, and then stared at Andrew and the maroon travel bag he was pulling behind him. Danai wished him back and quickly walked in.

Andrew looked towards the Sonny's apartment as they exited the elevator, on the penthouse floor.

"It's okay." She assured him. "They get up by 6 and leave by 8."

With her arm around him, she walked him towards her apartment door. On opening it, they immediately saw Andrew's dirty boot print on the carpet, from last night.

Andrew kicked his shoes off and tried to bend down to remove his socks. "OW.. OW."he cried holding his side.

"It's okay.. come on" She helped him inside and closed the door behind them.

"Sorry about my smelly feet."

She laughed "You should be...It really stinks."

"Ouch! That hurt more than getting punched in the face."

Suddenly, Andrew's phone started ringing. "It's Momma" He said looking at the display. "Hello.."

Danai turned around and opened the bag. And there it was, 700,000 Dollars, stacked in rows of 100's and 50's. She breathed in, taking in the moment. It was finally over. Now all she had to was meet with Mrs. Jenkins at 10, show her the money and sign. It had been a struggle, right up to the last moments. But everything she had been working for was about to come to fruition in a few hours.

She looked at Andrew, who was still talking on the phone. He winked and smiled at her as he continued his conversation. The bruising on his face looked more pronounced than it did an hour ago.

Andrew hung up the phone and looked at her. "Momma's pissed! I told her about Bina and Charlie and she said 'I'm gonna take care of it.' Those two are in for a world of pa-"

Danai stepped over the travel bag and tightly wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." She whispered, resting her head against his chest. Andrew kissed the top of her head and embraced her warmly. "I meant what I said last night. You're one of us. So don't ever feel..like you're alone. 'Cause you got me."

She smiled into his shirt and tightened her grip around his body. That's when she remembered something from last night.

 _"I really appreciate what you're doing. Sonequa, I mean Sonny, she said...I asked her if... well you don't really have to do this. You're taking time out to help me, some one you just met. I can't imagine you're doing all of this just for Sonny. What I'm trying to say is...and I don't mean any disrespect...but..."_

 _"You're wondering if I want something in return?" Andrew asked her quietly._

 _"Sonny said not to offer you money. But like you said she's kid and we've to look at this practically. Is there anything I can help you with? If it's not money...have you had dinner? I could make something-_

 _Andrew grinned and looked at her "-I'm here because Sonny said her friend needs help. But since you brought it up...when we get back, I might or may ask you something."_

 _"What? You can tell me, now."_

 _"Let's get the money, first. Then we'll talk."_

Danai raised her head and looked at him. "What were you talking about, yesterday. What did you want in return."

"Oh that..." Andrew gazed over at the tuft of hair that was partially covering her forehead. Slowly, he brushed it upwards with his left hand and pressed his lips on the spot.

She grinned at him in surprise. "That's it?"

"That's it." He replied with a shrug.

He turned his head and looked behind him. Then without warning, he pulled her closer to him and fell back against the couch. "AWWW, shit!" He groaned in pain as her body fell on top of him.

"You're injured, Andy." She scolded him, as tried to raise herself.

"Totally worth it." He said as he firmly held his arms around her. Danai raised her head and looked at him. "You're an idiot!"

"Uh-huh" He replied as he brought his right hand back over her head and caressed her lovely face. He pinched her cheeks and and then her nose. "You're beautiful."

She lowered her head and kissed his lips, softly brushing her lips over them. His lips broke into a smile as he felt the tenderness of her kiss. She continued to kiss him over his lips, on his chin, on his nose and all over his face, stopping after each one to look into his deep blue eyes. She caught the stench of cigarettes and his morning breath. But it didn't bother her, she didn't care.

Andrew trailed his lips over to her neck, as he gently caressed the back of her head. Danai closed her eyes, running her hands through his hair and felt the cut on the side of his head, and the blood as her finger tips pressed over it.

She immediately pulled back her head and looked at him. "You said you'd go to the hospital."

"Aaarggghh"

"Come onnnn" She said rubbing his shoulder.

"Let's just lie here for a minute."

"Andrew-"

"-Just a minute!"

"NO!" She said with a tone of finality. "Get up!"

"Listen, Danai. I'm okay. Okay? Let's just relax for a few-"

Danai pushed herself off him and got back to her feet. "GET UP, NOW!" She yelled at him placing her hands on her hips.

"Okay, okay. Jesus!" He replied rolling his eyes at her. He caught his side again, cringing as he got up. "Fine, I'll go!"

"I'm coming with you."

"What? You have that meeting with Jenkins at 10 right! So relax, sleep. I'll come by and pick you up by 9:30."

"And who's gonna pay for your medical expenses?"

Andrew grimaced at her. "Momma said she'll take care of it. I talked to her."

"Why?"

"...'Cause then I don't have to worry about it."

"Okay. But...you don't work for her anymore. You didn't get into a fight with Charlie and his gang, at her behest. So there is no reason-"

"-I don't have medical insurance."

"What? Why?"

Andrew shrugged. "When I was at the orphanage, they took take care of that. After that I was with Momma, so she took care of that. But I really didn't need it cause I kept getting lucky."

"What about after you left Momma?"

"I was looking for a job that would cover all of that. It took me years. Didn't find one until 6 months ago and then-"

"-You got fired, yesterday."

"Yeah. And I needed to be employed for a year before I got my full benefits..so

"Why didn't you do anything about it, Andrew. These thing are important and it's not that expensive."

"Come on, Danai. I'm beat up, I'm tired...Gimme a break!"

"Not when it comes to things that matter. And taking care of yourself matters."

"You're right. But...nothing ever happened and..I just never felt the need to and I never got around to getting one."

"Okay. But do you see now why you'd need it?"

"Yeah...Look.."

Andrew moved closer to her and placed his arms on shoulders. "You're right. But right now I don't have insurance and even if I did, it doesn't change the fact that I got into a fight. One look at my injuries and any doctor is gonna figure it out. I can't bluff my way out of it. And then they're going to call the cops... Which is why I'm going to the Kramer Hospital. Momma's got contacts there and that's the place where we used to go when one of us needed medical assistance. I never needed it when I was working for her, but I need it now - so I'm cashing in for all the times that I didn't."

"Alright, so we use her contacts." Danai reasoned with him."We go over to Kramer's and have you checked out. But we don't let her cover the expenses."

"Do you have any idea how much it's gonna cost! I got about 7 thousand dollars at home, but it's going cost more than that. They're not just going to patch me up and send me home. They are gonna look at the cut on my head, the bumps and bruises on my body, they'll want to take scans and x-rays and do all kinds of stuff..."

"Well, it's a good thing I got over 70 thousand dollars in the bank."

Andrew stared at her open mouthed. "Woah!"

"Yeah,"

"You got 70 thousand Dollars?...Seriously?"

"72,345 dollars and 55 cents" She said proudly.

"Daaaamn! But..that's your money, Danai. I'm mean you worked really hard for it."

"What's the point of having money, if I don't have anyone to spend it on!"

"We'll stop by at my place and-"

"-You don't have a job right now. Keep your money, save as much as you can. Use it when you have to.

Andrew lowered his head, feeling embarrassed.

She cupped his face and raised his head. "I can afford it. All we have to do is stop at an ATM. We'll settle the bill in cash."

"Why don't we just let Momma pay for it..."

"You don't work for her anymore. She doesn't owe you anything, you don't owe her anything. And you promised me you're never going back."

Andrew stared into her big brown eyes and blinked back at her. "Okay...Okay. I'll use my credit card-

"You'll still have to pay it back. The credit bill comes at the end of the month. You won't be able to pay it in full and interest rates are gonna carry forward to the next month."

Danai tilted her to the right and waited for him to make his next argument. But all he did was stare back at her in silence.

She slowly rubbed her thumbs over his rugged cheek and pointed at herself. "Knight in shining armor. I save you, you save me. And it's my turn. So let me take care of my boyfriend."

...

At 6 AM, they were at the hospital. At 8:30, they were out. Andrew was stitched up and bandaged, but he refused to stay back and rest.

"The doctor said you need to rest." She insisted.

"No, he suggested that I rest. And I rather drive my girlfriend to work."

They held hands as they walked out of the hospital as the sun beamed down upon them.

At 8:51 Am, they were back at her apartment and Danai was starting to feel nervous and excited.

She stood over the maroon carry bag and stared at it. "I've been waiting for this for a long time now. I just can't believe it's here."

Danai was still wearing her blue T-shirt and black jeans, from last night. She looked tired, her perfectly cut pixie-hair looked like a mess, and her clothes looked worn out. Andrew stood next to her, watching her. _'Can't believe she almost gave it all up, for me.'_

He reached across and patted her back, encouragingly. "Why don't you go get ready? I'll make some breakfast.."

"I don't think I can eat."

"That's okay." He stepped up behind her and began to massage her shoulders and neck . She closed her eyes as she felt his fingers press into her. It felt great and she began to feel more relaxed.

"It's almost 9..." He whispered from behind. " Come on.." He said and pushed her towards her room. She reached for his hands, behind her, and squeezed them. Andrew stood outside her room as she walked in. One arm on the door handle, Danai gazed at him for a moment. She saw his eyes dart towards the bed that was behind her and then back at her. Danai turned her head to the side and looked at the bed. Three seconds later, she turned back to look at him.

"I better get freshened up." She said without moving.

"Yeah..Yeah..yeah.." He said, barely audible.

A few more seconds passed. They didn't move, they couldn't breath. Eye to eye they kept looking at each other.

Danai turned her face away and closed the door quickly. She turned around and put her back against the door. She started laughing for no reason. _'AHHH...Come on, focus.'_ She thought to herself covering her face in her hands.

Andrew stood on the other side of the door, blinking at it.

He turned back around and decided he needed to freshen up as well. He looked around, trying to decide between the other three rooms and finally entered the familiar one.

...

Danai pulled her T-shirt over her head and then unzipped her jeans. She sat down on her bed as he pulled it of her legs. She the pulled down her panties and took off her bra. She entered the bathroom and stared at her naked reflection in the mirror.

...

Andrew opened the door to the bathroom and was greeted with the sight of her black bra and panties that were still lying over the side of the tub. Forcing himself not to look, he took off his shirt and washed himself, over the sink. He ran his wet fingers through his hair and set it carefully.

He looked for a tooth brush and paste, but all he could find was the paste. Shrugging to himself, he squeezed it onto his index finger and used it to brush his teeth.

After he was done, he smelled himself and retracted his head in disgust. "Shit!"

...

Danai stood under the warm shower, rinsing herself. It felt absolutely refreshing and she wished she could stay under the water for 10 more minutes. But she turned it off and quickly dried herself with the towel.

Her bedside clock said it was 9:20. Wrapping the towel around her body, she stood before her mirror brushing her hair to side whilst using the hair dryer to set it carefully.

...

A bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee awaited Danai, on the dining table. Andrew sat back on one of the many chairs, sipping on his coffee and eating from the box of cereal. He checked the clock again and it was 9:35 AM.

"Andrew..." She called for him.

Andrew picked up the coffee headed towards her room. The door was barely open, with only her head visible.

"What is it."

She sounded shy as she spoke "My..Can you..uh.."

"What is-" Andrew stopped as he caught a glimpse of the rest of her body. It was wrapped in a towel that barely reached her thighs.

"Andrew" She snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Huh?" He looked up at her.

"Focus..."

"Right...uh..why aren't you dressed?"

"I was taking a shower and then I did my hair."

"It took over you 30 minutes to that."

"Yes!" She glared at him.

"O-kay..so get dressed."

"I..I don't have any fresh.."

"..Fresh...what?"

"Lingerie!"

"Oh...well don't wear one." He grinned at her. "Go commando! It's not like anyone's gonna check."

She frowned at him "I'm not going Commando, Andrew! Can you get the bra and underwear from the other bathroom."

"Oh.." He looked at her thoughtfully. "You want me to go and get it. As in pick it up with my hands..."

"Yeah." She snickered at him with an obvious look "How else are you going to bring it here?"

"No...I get it. I'm just...okay. Sure."

He turned around to leave and then turned back around to look at her. "I made this for me." He said extending the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Thank you." She said and reached for the cup, pulling open the door wider . As she extended her arm, her towel came lose and fell down to her ankles.

Andrew eyelids flared up as he saw her naked body.

Danai grabbed the cup of coffee and slammed the door in his face. She stood with her back to the door, tightly clutching the handle of cub, completely embarrassed. Bending down she picked up her towel and wrapped it around her body.

"Did you like the coffee?" Andrew teased her through the door.

"Get me my bra and panties!" She yelled back at him.

Andrew was back in flash and knocking at her door. "GOT IT!"

Securing her towel around her body, Danai opened the door. She stuck her hand out, choosing to hide the rest of her behind the door.

"You look incredible" He said as he handed them over.

Danai clenched her lips together trying not to laugh.

"Danai.." He called out again.

"What?" She asked trying not to smile.

"I can see you in the mirror."

Danai slammed the door again.

"I was kidding." He said knocking on the door. "I was kidding!"

...

At 9:45 am Danai scrambled out of her room. Her hair was neatly combed and set. She was wearing a grey skirt, black suit and white shirt underneath it. Danai seemed embarrassed to make eye contact with Andrew, as she quickly put on pair of high heels. She then began to search through her hand bag for her make up."

Andrew walked towards her holding the bowl of cereal in his hand. "You can do that in the car."

She looked down at the bowl and then finally raised her head to look at him. "I don't feel like eating."

"Three spoons, that's it!" He urged her, scooping a spoonful of cereal and milk and holding it over her lips. "Come on..."

She opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her. After 3 spoons, she raised her hand to signal enough. But Andrew squeezed in a fourth spoon, which Danai took in reluctantly. She swallowed it and ran towards the sink to wash her mouth.

Andrew dumped the rest down the kitchen sink and washed the bowl and spoon.

As he stepped out, Danai stood before him holding the carry bag behind her. She looked like a million bucks he thought, and considering the money in the bag, it wasn't close from the truth.

"How do I look?" She asked anxiously.

 _'I prefer you in the towel..."_ He thought."

She saw the lustful look in his eye. "Don't answer that-" She said raising her hand.

"-You're a heart breaker!" He answered anyway.

"That's not what you were thinking." She said grinning at him.

"Doesn't stop it from bring the truth."

...

At 9:55 am Andrew was swerving through the busy street of D.C, trying to get there in time. Danai used the rear-view mirror, carefully applying some mascara to her eyes. Andrew wanted to say something to her, but he let he finish with her make up first.

"I don't have a lot of money. I ran away from the orphanage when I was 16 so not a lot of education. I don't have a job...I am sing bars and clubs...I smoke...I suck at personal hygiene.."

"Why're you telling me this?" She asked curiously.

"I'm saying I know that I don't have a lot going for me."

"Okay.."

"And there's a lot going for you. This deal, your business..."

"I didn't have all of this. I had to go out there and get it."

"Exactly. And I can do the same...I mean I can find something on my own too."

Danai frowned trying to understand what he was saying.

Andrew made a turn and they had arrived at Jenkins' office. Exiting the car, Andrew pulled out the maroon carry bag, from behind his seat.

Danai watched him as she stood on the pavement, from the other side of the car.

"It's 10:05." Andrew told her checking his watch. "You should go."

Dana crossed her arms and looked at him. "Finish what you were saying."

"You're going to be late."

Danai continued to look back at him.

"Alright, a lot of people might say considering your success and...and..achievements-"

"You mean money?" She asked him.

"Fine! money! And don't tell me it doesn't matter."

"Okay. It matters. What's you point?"

Andrew seemed to be struggling with his words. "You called me..your boyfriend. And last night... it was intense...it was a crazy night..Look I-most people would say that I don't deserve you. That you can certainly do better than me.

"Would you be one of these people?"

"Hell no! I think I'm luckiest bastard in the world, to be with someone as amazing as you."

"Me too." She said plainly.

"Yeah-but.."

"Do you think I - AM ONE OF THESE PEOPLE?"

"NOOO...But I was thinking-"

Danai stepped forward, grabbed him by the neck and kissed him. "Where's that cocky son of a bitch I fell for last night?" She asked resting her forehead against his, looking into his eyes. His hands moved down and squeezed her ass cheeks together.

"Right here, baby." He replied, licking his lips.

Danai pulled her head back and looked at him. "Are you wearing my perfume?"

Andrew widened his eyes in realization. "It was in the other bathroom and I was starting to smell..was that women's perfume?"

She laughed at him in response. "It's okay...It smells great on you."

"HA HA very funny. I did it for you." He said bashfully. "I wanted to smell good for you."

"Awwwww" She kissed him again. "Wait for me!"

She turned around and started walking towards the entrance.

"GOOD LUCK!" He yelled after her.

She waved her hand back at him.

...

At 11:30 am, Danai walked out rolling her bag of money, with the biggest smile on her face. She stared up at the blue skies, feeling relieved and thankful. She rubbed her sleepily and pulled out her cell phone.

Unable to find a parking sport, Andrew was parked a few streets away. He was sipping on his third cup of coffee, trying to stay awake.

He picked up the phone as soon as he heard it ring.

"How did it go?" He asked her."

"You're talking to Jen-Kay's newest supplier, for it's complete summer wear."

"Congratulations! We should celebrate."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Brunch. And it's on me!"

...

Andrew drove around, picked her up from Jen-Kay's and took her to the most famous coffee shop in all of D.C. The place was packed with tourists and locals alike. "I played here once. I know the manager." He assured her.

Ten minutes later, they were seated inside looking over the menu.

Andrew and Danai were seated next to each other as the waiter hovered over them. Except for the cereal they really had nothing to eat since last night at the club. Needless to say, they were both very hungry and extremely tired. Danai yawned with her hand over her mouth, causing Andrew to mimic the action.

Everything in the menu looked good.

Griddles cornbread with devilled eggs and avocado

Cheese and Bacon scones

Spring Onion Pancakes...

They ordered a little of each and waited for the waiter to bring their order.

Danai crept her left arm in between his and rested her head on his shoulder. Andrew squeezed her arm and held her hand.

"You were saying something earlier..." She asked him.

"Oh that..Forget it. I was being stupid."

"Tell me." She snugged her head against his arm.

Andrew yawned and rubbed his eyes." I am a loser. You're not! I wanted to tell you that I can change. That I can do better for you and be the best boyfriend ever."

"Hmmm, now that sounds more like my boyfriend." She said rubbing his arm. "I know Andrew. I believe in you."

"You do?" He asked is surprise.

Danai laughed and raised her head to look at him "Yesterday, I came here to see Mrs. Jenkins. I wanted to ask her more time to get the money. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. She was in her office, planning for the event with her daughter - Sarah Jenkins."

"Sarah Jenkins, why does that name sound familiar?"

"She is THE socialite to know. Organizes the biggest most flamboyant parties across the city. Everyone knows her and everyone comes to her."

"Well I don't know her. Must have heard about her in the news or something."

"Of course you don't. You know all the thugs and thieves."

"Heyyyyy. I used to be one of those."

"And you're NOT ANYMORE. So enough with the nostalgia."

"Okay. You were saying."

"Well I met with her yesterday and she told me she wants to make this THE party event of the year! Fashion shows with the country's top models and entertainment as in a 'concert'."

"Wait.." Andrew stared at her with his mouth. "Are you saying.."

"Yes. When I met with Mrs. Jenkins, Sarah was there. I mentioned your name and about the 'The Simpsons'.."

"Are you serious?" Andrew asked her again, unable to believe what she way saying."

"No, I made it all up to see that expression on your face. Of course I'm serious. Why do you find that hard to believe."

"It's just that...I'm a nobody. I play at clubs, bars. I'm as small time as you can get."

"But I saw you last night and you were phenomenal. The way you got everyone on the feet, your voice. How uniquely you interacted and entertained the audience...How you literally swept me off my feet. You were a fucking ROCKSTAR."

Andrew blushed slightly and looked down, trying to act like it was nothing.

"She'll call me in a few weeks. There might be an audition, but I told her that's not going to be a problem for 'The Simpsons."

Andrew shrugged at her looking down at the table.

"This is is going to be your big break. Sarah and Mrs. Jenkins are going to invite everyone they know. People with power, influence, money, not just from D.C but people from all over the world. You told me there aren't any opportunities out there for music, that no one's making anything new. Well, this is your chance to do it. Work on your music, compose some of your own songs..I know you can do it. And trust me, with the kind of exposure you're going to get at a show like this...you're bound to attract some investors. Investors who are looking for new talent, because Lord knows the country needs some new music. Everyone's still listening to songs from over 100 years ago, and YOU are our only hope. You need to save America and you need save the world with some fresh new music."

Andrew broke into a fit of laughter, but he still kept his head lowered, too overwhelmed to look at her.

"You got to me to believe in you Andrew and that's not going away. I believed in you last night, I believed in you this morning. So regardless of your personal hygiene, or education or your past, I believe in you when you say you're going do better. And I'm going to continue to believe in you as a musician, singer... as a man and as my boyfriend."

She placed her hand underneath his jawline and raised his head. His face glistened with tears as he grinned back at her sheepishly. Danai laughed at him as she wiped his tears away.

He sniffed his nose and looked at her. "Told ya you're a heart breaker."

"I had no idea my knight in shining armor was so sensitive."

Andrew turned towards her, cupped her face and kissed her in joy. "I cry when I'm happy." He said resting his forehead against hers. She raised an eyebrow at him

"Really?"

"It happens..look it up."

He hugged her as tightly as could, stroking her hair, taking in it's scent, feeling her heaving breasts against his chest. "Thank you" he whispered.

She sighed and snuggled closer to him. "It was my turn."

...

A few tables away, a tourist couple asked one of the waiters to click a picture of them. "Make sure you get Rick and Michonne in the picture." The woman insisted.

Behind them was a picture of an 87-year old Michonne on her wheelchair and a 93-year old Rick standing behind, applauding her. She was inaugurating the coffee shop. The very first coffee shop/restaurant that their son Daryl Grimes had opened in his mother's name - Michonne's. From there he had gone on to open a chain of fast food restaurants and coffee shops all across the country. It had emerged as the number 1 franchise, after the walker apocalypse had ended.

The wall was adorned with photographs from the day, including the most romantic and saddest of them all. Michonne and Rick, sitting at a table surrounded by their family. Arm in arm they sat, with her resting her head on his shoulder and him whispering something to her, unaware that she had passed away.

...

With their order finally ready, the waiter carefully balanced two trays of food and made his way to Andrew and Danai's table. But as soon as he got there he stopped, uncertain of what to do next, as he stared at his customers.

Arm in arm they sat, with her resting her head on his shoulder and his drooping over to her side. Unaware that they had fallen asleep, snoring quiet loudly.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't you just love (emotional) happy endings? Well, we're not quite at the end, but it's almost here. The next chapter will be the conclusion to this and the entire story. It's gonna be probably longer than this. A few twists, surprises and drama left to unfold and it's gonna take place on the night of the PARTY. I don't know how long it's gonna take, but I'm guessing 3 -4 weeks. Please bear with me until then. As always thanks for reading and please do leave your thoughts and opinions, I love to hear from you guys. Take care and have a great weekend.**


	46. Not an updatea message to all readers

Hello everyone... I received all your messages and I am sorry I haven't updated it. July has been a busy month. One of my closest friends has been on the verge of a divorce and I have been with her trying to resolve the matter. On a happier note it looks like we are about to solve things and save the marriage. So I haven't really had any free time. Will start writing on August 1'st and will definitely update by the mid of August.


	47. Not an update Another msg to all readers

Hello Everybody. Received your messages. I'm sorry, I was a little busy again with my friend (It's one hell of a story..I may write about it! WINK WINK.)

I just got free, and TODAY I started writing CHAPTER 46. It will be called, Richonne, Always meant to be! (But things may not go down the way you think.)

I want to get this last chapter out as soon as possible. So I'm writing as fast as I can. It will be out by late August. I'm not sure on the date. But Chapter 46 will be out this month.

Thank you all so much for your continued interest and support.


	48. Not a chapter, just another update

I'm back people. Sorry to keep you waiting. A lot of things happened that kept me away from finishing this story (Truth is stranger thank fiction - Something happened, someday I'll write about it). But I'm back now. So don't give up on this fic. We're gonna finish this together. And it starts now!


	49. Richonne, Inside Out

**Hello Everybody! I know it's been a long, long time. I'm absolutely sorry for the delay. Things just got crazy and for a while I didn't even think I'd would be here to finish this. But dammit, I'm glad to be back!**

 **So let me get the pleasantries out of the way. Merry Xmas (2016), Happy New Year (2017), Happy Valentines Day (2017), Happy Easter (2017) and all the other holidays and special moments, each of you celebrated. Thank you to the new readers and for the reviews you shared. I loved each and every one of them. Over the last many months, a lot of things happened. I wanted to get this out many many times. But things kept getting in the way. Some of them were tragic, some of them were freaking awesome, some of them were tense and some of them downright painful. But it's okay now. Almost okay, actually.**

 **Now getting back to the story, a lot of ideas were scrapped, because they didn't feel natural to the story progression and the characters.** **Having said that, when I was writing Chapter 3, the ending came to me then and I knew no other ending would be as perfect as that one. We are getting there.**

 **This is a short chapter, but has a lot to say. This is Chapter 46: Richonne, Inside Out.**

* * *

At first it was a drizzle, then it began to pour. Andrew turned on his windshield wipers as he drove through the traffic, occasional glancing at the clock on the dash. 6:55 PM. He swore to himself, suddenly remembering that he had forgotten to buy flowers.

…

Danai opened the door and rushed inside with the bottle of red wine she had forgotten. She checked the clock on the wall that read 6:55 PM. ' _Relax, Danai! Dinner's at 7, and Andy had texted you saying he might be late by a few minutes. Everything's fine. The dinner's ready. You forgot the wine and now you got that, so take a deep breath cause your knight in shining armor is coming'._

…

Andrew quickly ran inside the store, pulling his jacket over his head. He turned around to look at his reflection against the glass door. He brushed his long, slightly wet, hair back and then straightened his jacket and tie. He studied his reflection again, frowning at the several patterns of raindrops that now adorned his new beige jacket and pants. On account of his meeting with Sarah and Mrs. Jenkins, Andrew had purchased the outfit, along with the light sky blue shirt and crimson colored tie he was wearing. It was Danai who had advised him on what to wear _'A mix between semi professional and casual! You're an entertainer not a business associate.'_ But Andrew wouldn't be Andrew if he couldn't throw something in there that defined his own taste. So instead of the yellow-brown tie she had advised, Andrew went for a crimson one.

He grinned at the thought of Danai's expression, once she had the chance to see tie. The grin faded away as soon as it had appeared, as Andrew was reminded of what had happened in the morning, and the various small incidents that had happened over the last two weeks. Was he feeling anger or was it disappointment?

Deciding to put the issue aside for now, he looked down at his brown formal shoes. Apart from them looking a little wet, they looked absolutely fine.

Satisfied with his appearance, Andrew turned around and smiled as the girl behind the counter greeted him.

…

 _'Red - the colour of passion, energy...Love'_ Dressed in a red off shoulder mini spaghetti dress, Danai studied her reflection against the mirror as she stood in her bedroom.

 _'Maybe this too much! What's he going to think? I should probably change. Maybe something a bit more low-key? It's just dinner at home.'_

As she stood in front of the mirror she used her left hand to position her straight short hair over her forehead and then turned to her side to check her perfectly styled pixie-cut hair. She couldn't believe that it was barely 10 hours ago that she had gotten of a plane that had arrived from France. Most of the day had been a bliss with her running around meeting with Mrs. Jenkins and giving her a succinct update on the status of the promised supplies, to coordinating with her business associates in Richmond, whilst worrying about what she had texted Andrew earlier in the day! And his very casual response.

It was not until late in the afternoon that she had some time to herself. She rushed to the beauty salon and sat down on the chair, as the staff worked around her with a facial, waxing, treading, skin care, hair styling, etc, while Danai's mind drifted between how hungry she was, how tired she felt, her conscious fight against jet lag, how much work as left to be done before the D-day and...the urge to call/text/go see Andrew right away about how she had said what she had said and his "Okay. I'll see you in the evening" reply to her text. She checked her phone for the 14'th time to see if she had missed any texts or calls from him (even though she knew she hadn't). Once she was done at the beauty salon she hurried over to her apartment to get started on dinner.

She felt overwhelmed with restless energy and inertia. _"He's coming to see you...He's coming to see you. He's coming to have dinner with YOU."_

...

"When I was living with Mrs. Hemmings, she had this garden where she grew all sorts of flowers…" Andrew recounted an earlier memory of a conversation they had from a week ago, when things were better.

'Most flowers have the same color...roses are red, violets are blue, lilies are white and sunflower is just plain yellow...It gets boring after a while. Orchids always made feel good. A perfect mixture of purple and white...the way they're structured...Always managed to inspire the artist in me.'

"How can I help you?" The girl asked Andrew as he stood lost in his thoughts.

He looked at the girl and asked "Do you have any Orchids?"

…

As she stood in front of the mirror, her eyes wandered over to the reflection of the king-size bed behind her. She stared at its gold enamored headboard and raving red colored bed covers. Danai suddenly found something else to be nervous about, thinking about what could or couldn't happen tonight!

…..

 **7:08 PM**

Andrew stepped out of his car and carefully held the bouquet of flowers. He made his way to the entrance of the apartment. The doorman recognized him immediately and greeted him whilst holding open the door. Nodding back with smile, Andrew walked in realizing it had been two weeks since he had been here - since he had seen her, in person.

 _'Wait, do I have to do anything?'_ Andrew wondered as he pressed the 'P' button, for the penthouse floor. _'You got her flowers! It's fine. IT'S FINE!... But after what happened in the morning, is she expecting something else_ _...from me?'_

The doors opened and he stepped out feeling a little more tense. _'You handled it! That's what matters. Just relax and have a good time. Okay! That's it! You've done this before. You know how to show a girl a good time..and..._

Danai's voice echoed like a distant memory _'My boyfriend...'_ and the multiple times she had said it, on the night they had met.

 _'Wait! Are we a couple now?'_ Andrew stopped a few meters away from her door. ' _Hold on! Danai and you've been talking for two weeks...on the phone. Texting, video calling, regular calling...Now, you haven't done that before or wasn't interested in spending that much time on the other girls you've been with. WHY? Because she is..._

 _YEAH, GO ON!_

 _Because...I... enjoy talking to her._

 _Yes, and... you enjoy spending time with her, MORON! Now ask yourself, why is that?_

 _Because she's different._

 _NOOOO! Because she's different to you! WAKE UP, ANDY. SHE'S NOT JUST ANOTHER GIRL TO YOU._

 _Of course she's not. She's..._

 _SPECIAL?"_

 _Andrew sighed in frustration. ' Fuck!'_

 _'Yeah, ANDY. And you haven't. When's the last you did that?.._

 _uh..umm...well..._

 _THE ANSWER IS NEVER!..._

 _Okay, so what do I do?..._

 _It's been over two weeks! You've been playing boyfriend and girlfriend._

 _NO! NO! She left for France, the day after we met. She was meeting with her new suppliers and negotiating business deals...she was working._

 _And I was working too...I had to get the band back together, prepare for the audition and we made it through. And now we're rehearsing for the show. We were busy, so we hardly had any time, she was out of the country. There was hardly anytime for US! So the phone was the only option to make things work!'_

 _'Yeah, in spite of your busy schedules. You guys made it work, like a real couple!'_

Andrew looked down at the flowers and then at her apartment door.

 _'Whether you want to admit it or not this is a real relationship. So put on your big boy pants and go ring that door bell.'_

 **8:00 Pm**

Danai paced around the living room, glancing down at her phone, wondering where he was. She tried calling him for the third time since 7:30 PM. The phone kept ringing but there was no answer.

She held up the phone and started typing away anxiously, "ANDY, THIS IS NOT FUNNY. PICK UP! WHERE ARE YOU? and hit 'send'.

She waited a few more minutes, now starting to feel worried for his safety. _'Did he get into a fight with someone? Or did someone...Charlie, Bina, momma Fisch, someone else. Maybe I should call Sonny. No, I'll just worry her. I'll call Steve. Wait, I just met him today morning. But he knows about me, about us...but what has Andrew told him?_

She looked down at her phone and sent him another text _._ "Are you okay?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by sound of the doorbell!

* * *

 **A/N: I know I promised no more cliffhangers, but for old time's sake...bear with me.**


	50. Richonne, Andrew&Danai

**Hello everybody! Back with the next chapter. Special thanks to** A **ndyDanai , Yelle Hughes (I really appreciate your comments and I'm absolutely honored), atm0000, Nwfanmega and Guest. This is Chapter 47, Richonne, Andrew &Danai. Have fun!**

* * *

"...and that's the plot of Arkham asylum. It's a shame that the sequel never came out. Arkham City. But I'm working on an idea."

"WOW!" Lauren remarked, as she dreamily stared into his eyes.

Steven grinned at her after realizing he had been talking non-stop about a Batman video game that came out 100's of years ago.

"I'm sorry, I just never met any gir-I mean anyone, who was interested in listening to the plot of Arkham Asylum.

Lauren laughed nervously. "I didn't know I would be interested." She looked down and ran her right hand over the polyester surface of the couch they were sitting on and then looked back at him. His eyes were still on her, his left hand under his chin with his head slightly arched forwards. "It's just the way you say it, makes it interesting."

"Thank you." Steven replied, running his left hand through his hair and then over his head. "Some day I'd like to do stories for anything and everything related to comic book characters - old and new. I'm already working on a few ideas. Doing a Batman Vs Superman movie is my dream project. Did you know, back in the year 2001 there was this plan to make a movie. Two drafts for a script were written. But studios couldn't decide between that and another superman script. It got delayed and then-I'm sorry. I did it again."

"NOOOO! It's fine." Lauren quickly assured him. "I get it. You're passionate about it. It's actually quiet inspiring." She raised her right and brushed her curls back behind her ear.

Steven grinned at her again, hardly able to take his eyes of her. "I want to be the best at it."

"I have a feeling you will be."

Lauren looked around the tiny apartment, quickly noticing how warm and cozy it was, but severely in need of a woman's touch. "This is a very cute apartment"

Steven raised an eyebrow while trying to stop himself from laughing. "Eh..cute? Two grown men live here."

"Or is it one grown man and one fully grown boy?" She teased him.

"HEY!" Steven remarked. "Andy and I are the same age." He looked at her with a serious expression, noticing for the first time that she had the most greenest eyes he had ever seen on any woman or man.

She quickly brought her hands together in prayer, "I'm sorry, I meant cute in the most manly way possible." She said hardly being able to keep a straight face.

"Hmpf. Better." Steven replied smugly, sitting back against the couch slightly turning to his left to face her, while placing his left hand over the head of the couch and his right on the side rest.

She looked down at her watch all of sudden, realizing she got caught up in Steven's story telling prowess. "I'm going to have to leave in an hour. I got to check in.." _Dont' tell him about your parents in the hospital. Too early for that!..."_ I got another job. So will have to leave soon" She finished with a grimace.

Steven took a good look at her as she sat before him in a casual turquoise green top that came down to her forearms, jeans and white sneakers. "What?" She asked him with a smile. _'You look beautiful? Gorgeous, sexy? It's okay. Go ahead, you can say it'._

"Nothing." Steven shrugged quickly realizing she had noticed.

 _'Come on Steve.'_ Lauren screamed in her head, out of dissapointment.

Steven saw that look of expectation fall from her face, as she ever so slightly turned her head to the left, to look at the coffee table in front of her.

 _'Crap! I should've said something. Now she's going to think I'm a pussy. Now, what?_

"Andy will be late" Steven remarked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Okay."

"I'm just saying we got the whole place to ourselves."

Lauren looked straight back at him, questioningly.

 _'Shit! Damage control. Ask her something about work.'_

"So..." Steven carried on despite her piercing gaze. "How's it working for the catering company?"

"It's okay."

"Just okay?" Steven teased her back with a smile.

Lauren sighed and then closed her eyes for a minute. Steven waited patiently for her to open up.

As soon as she opened her eyes and looked a bit more calmer. "No. It's great. I'm just so glad I met Danai that night. She said she would help me out and she did. In fact she was in Paris when she made the call to her friend at the catering company."

"Yeah, Danai's great. I met her for the first time today morning. Went to the airport to pick her up."

"You!" Lauren asked surprised. "Why?"

"Uh..Well, he couldn't make it in the morning. So asked me to help out." Steven replied with a shrug.

"Oh-kay" she replied still looking confused.

"Andy and Danai are together...as in they are going out."

"Really?" Lauren squealed excitedly. "I knew it! At first I thought they were friends. Then I saw them dance that night. They were on fire! Andrew was just incredible on the mike, and on the dance floor."

"Yeah, Andy's a real charmer." Steven said proudly. _'Fuck you, Andy!'_

"Do you know what happened that night?"

"Yeah, he told me." Steven replied quickly, nodding at her. _'Okay, time to steer the conversation back to more interesting things.'_

"Well I'm glad they met. And I'm glad you met Danai. She got you that job. Sarah Jenkins wanted to see the entire catering team at the hall we were rehearsing in...I was up on stage with Andy and there you were, with your team mates watching us."

"...I liked the song, Andrew was singing. I've never heard of it! Is it a new one?"

Steven smiled and nodded, while thinking to himself. _'Jesus, Lauren! Gimme a break. I'm trying to flirt over here.'_ "..Yeah, it was something he was working on. I helped him with some of the lyrics. The song is called...'Shape of you'.

"Right!" Lauren nodded enthusiatically and began to sing " _I'm in love with the shape of you..I'm in love with._. _hmmm_ what was the rest?

"Body." Steven replied. He eyes gazed over her face and her neck, admiring her porcelain skin. "I saw you from up the stage."

"Really? What did you see?" She teased him, grinning and biting down on her bottom lip.

"Deja vu."

"Deja vu? What do you mean?"

"It was almost 8 months ago. I was up on stage at this club, with Andrew and the rest of our band. I was playing the drums and there, as I glanced across the floor, I saw an extremely gorgeous girl (Steven saw her swallow nervously, hardly daring to breath or make a sound. Her eyes were round and her gaze was completely fixed on him.), waitressing in a black dress. So when I got of the stage, I tried talking to her. But she completely blew me off."

Lauren' cheeks turned red, as her face seemed to be caught between a grimace and smile. She looked down at the couch as she fidgeted with her fingers, drawing circled patterns against the nylon. "You were drunk." She finally said.

"Not that much." Steven replied coolly, still looking at her.

It took her a minute to reply, but Steven waited patiently. Without raising her head Lauren replied. "I saw you before you got up on stage. When you walked into the the club along with the rest of your band."

Steven was taken aback by this revelation. "You did?"

"Yes." She said

Then ever so slowly she raised her head and looked into his eyes. "You walked up to me when I was least expecting it. And I didn't know what to do."

"So when I said 'hey gorgeous!' you said 'got to go', without looking at me?" Steven said softly tilting his head to the left.

 _'I could look into those eyes forever.'_ Steven thought as he continued to look at her.

 _'You were so adorable that night.'_ Lauren thought recalling what had happened. ' _All I wanted to do was come back and talk to you, maybe dance with you a little. But I just felt so nervous. And when you were up on that stage, you looked like you were having so much fun. I wanted to come up over there and sit between you and those drums.'_

"Yes." She finally replied.

His gaze drifted downwards at her lips and then back up. "How about now?"

She stared into his eyes. She couldn't blink, she couldn't move.

Slowly, feeling his heart beat against his chest, Steven leaned forwards. He caught her lips with his, brushing them ever so lightly and then parting them slowly. She opened up her lips and received him. He softly slid his tongue in, grazing against hers. "I'm so glad Andrew met Danai" He added seductively.

She started chuckling then broke into laughter, raising both her hands and then placing them on both sides of his face. "You mean like destiny?"

"Hmmm" He nodded back at her, with a lazy smirk on his face. The writer in him started thinking away. "What was always meant to be, will happen one way or the other."

"So we were always meant to be here? On this couch, right now?" Lauren teased him back, biting her lower lip.

Steven continued to look into her eyes, reaching across with his left hand he softly brushed her cheek with his fingers. "Always."

...

"Mr. President," The talk show host proclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yes, Michael." He replied just as enthusiastically.

"Before we wrap up for the night, I have to ask...the question."

The audience applauded encouragingly

45-year old Stanely Ford sat back against his couch completely relaxed, with his arms placed on either sides.

He gave the host an all knowing grin and looked towards the audience. "What's my favorite flavor of ice-cream?"

There was laughter from the audience.

"No, sir. But since you mentioned it..."

"It's chocolate. Plain old chocolate."

"How about vanilla?"

"It's nice, but it's not chocolate."

"Butterscotch?"

"Eh...okay. But chocolate's the best."

"Chocolate it is, then! Now. back to the question."

"Did my great great grandmother, Michonne, come back to life or was it great great grand daddy, Rick's kiss?"

"You got to admit, it is one of America's best folklore."

"I do. But you're guess, and by that I mean everybody's guess is as good as mine. The last time I saw my great grand father was when I was 15, that was 30 years go. A lot of my friends from school, everyone within the family, along with myself, wanted to know and so I asked him. I remember him laughing and then looked at me and said it was...destiny."

Stanely paused for a moment before continuing, placing his hand under his chin. "He never elaborated, and given that he was in his 180's...I never pushed him. This was about Rick and Michonne Grimes...I was learning about them and my other great grandparents Abraham and Rosita Ford in school. Sometimes I had to pinch myself to actually believe that it was happening. This was back when he was living in the Alexandria safe zone, before my parents turned it into the museum that is today."

"Mr. Grimes had wanted it that way, right? I believe he left various artifacts before he...uh..."

"..shot himself." Stanley offered with a raised eyebrow. "It's okay you can say it. And yes that's what he wanted."

"Yes, well there is still a lot of mystery surrounding that."

"Hmmm...He wanted to be by himself. At least that's what he told my mom and dad. He lived to 201. The world had become strange place for him. Everyone he knew and loved was dead. He had to bury his children and his children's children. When we would go to visit him, it always seemed like he had a lot on his mind...like things left to do. Always thinking...never really present. We'd ask him, but he'd smile and instantly talk about something else. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes he would tell us stories. Some of them made it to the history books, some of them didn't. For example, Michonne once went scavenging. This was back when they were staying in the prison. She brought back a stack of comics for my great grand uncle Carl Grimes-

"-The Carl Grimes?"

"The Carl Grimes, he was 12. And for Rick, she brought him a beard trimmer. Cause his beard had started growing out and he was shaving it off. As she handed it over, she told him 'Your face is losing the war.'

The audience started laughing, along with the host. "That's fascinating. Just goes to show you that it doesn't matter if it's the apocalypse or a regular ol' sunny day. A good woman will always try to help her man."

Most of the women started cheering, as Stanley nodded to them cheerfully.

"President Ford, I hope you don't mind me asking a little more about...'Richonne' Grimes!"

"Ha ha ha...you know they really hated that name." Stanley remarked. "But sure go ahead."

"Okay. Let's talk about the estate you're in. I believe all the three families live over there - Grimes, Ford and Green-Rhee. "

"That's right. It's a 200 acre estate, with all our houses, parents, kids... we are one large joint-family and our own community."

"Sounds crowded!" Michael remarked.

"Absolutely! It can get loud, sometimes not so private, but a very happy place!"

"Now is that something Rick and Michonne started?"

"Yes and no. Uh...It was the way they lived during the apocalypse. The concept of family became more than blood. And that is something great grand daddy Rick started and everyone else just took that forward. Today,"...Stanley took a moment to think before saying the rest. He paused Stanley took a second to recall some of the happiest memories of his life, including meeting, falling in love and marrying his wife - the great grand daughter of Glenn and Maggie Rhee.

"I can honestly say it is the best thing that could have happened to me and everyone within our families."

The audience broke into a applause and Stanley nodded back at them with a smile.

Michael took a moment to acknowledge President Stanley's sentiments. And then proceeded with the interview. "What about relationships, marriage? Is that something all of you want to keep it within the three families."

Stanley laughed in response. "That was never intentional. It just happened that way...so far! I guess the best way I can describe it...given what all had happened and how it had happened, and how much all our families were involved in it...no one understood us better than us. We grew up together, we spend the holidays together, we had the same beliefs, followed the same traditions...It just became what it is today."

"Or..." Michael added dramatically. "It was like Rick said...destiny!"

Stanley shrugged back at him with a smile.

Michael continued. "But it is remarkable, you're whole family! How all of you have grown and how to continue to honor what your ancestors started by staying together. Especially these days you, you hear about relationships and marriages falling apart. What would you say to those people."

"I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to give up. The world is demanding, tough. Job, career, money, social acceptance...relationships take second place when it comes to the rest. That's not intentional. That's hope that the other person will understand."

Stanley looked towards the crowd and then at the camera. "There are going to be days when you don't want to be together. Or when you don't even want to look at the other person. It happens to the best of us! But the best of us - those who make it work - that is when they try harder. Ego and self-respect are two very different things. Each of them shouldn't come at the expense of the other. Now you just that my family remarkable. And I've been married for 18 years now. Based on what I know, what I have seen growing, and 18 years of marriage, people who fail at relationships will fail at life too! And the reason they do that is because they get the concept of self-respect and ego, mixed up. If you feel angry or frustrated about doing or not doing something - that is your EGO! I'd say don't ever let that hold you back. And if you find your self at peace then that is self-respect! Then be glad that is holding you back."

He paused to take a breath. "On the day of my wedding, my grandmother, Andrea Grimes told me what her mother, Michonne Grimes told her that there was a time that she wanted to give up but he wouldn't. No matter how difficult things were. He wouldn't! Not on her, not them, not on the world...not on anything. So, she helped him achieve everything that he wanted. That was their secret...and that's how they saved the world!"

"That sounds like some solid advice." Michael remarked. He turned to look at the audience "And it's coming from president, ladies and gentleman! As well as the great-grand son of Rick and Michonne Grimes, and Abraham and Rosita Ford. So it doesn't get any better than that." Michael stated emphatically, as the crowd applauded in response.

Stanley looked at Michael closely, briefly being reminded of someone else. "You know, Michael. I've watched you on television so many times, but sitting here talking to you...I have to say, you look like a.. younger version of Sergeant Abraham Ford!"

25-Year old Michael Campton, laughed out loud in delight, not knowing that he indeed was Sergeant Abraham Ford. "It's the hair! A few people have told me that."

"Oh yeah." Stanley replied eyeing the sharply cut ginger colored hair, on his head. "Very sharp."

Michael ran his hand over his head, proudly brushing his hair back. "Now all I have to do is find my Rosita!"

Stanley laughed along with the audience. "I have a feeling you will."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you had fun with that. Just wanted to show how Rick and Michonne's actions and Andrew and Danai's actions have lead to two different stories, each with it's own circumstances, issues and resolutions. There's a point and you will see that as we get to the end. In the next update, we will see what's going on with Andy and Danai (Rick & Michonne) Thanks again for reading! **

**Disclaimer: The song shape of you by Ed Shareen, is one of my favorites and I have used it solely out of love for the song, and not for the commercial reasons. The rights of the song belong to the respective makers and I hold no or have an ownership over it!**


	51. Richonne, It happened one night!

**Hello Everybody! Hope you're all having a great weekend. Thought it would be the perfect time for the next update. It's a small one. We're getting there. Thank you Richonnelover 1941, AndyDanai (We're getting there to the cliffhanger) and guest (thank you for the applause).**

 **This is a continuation of the Chapter: Inside Out!**

 **This is Chapter 48: Richonne, It happened one night!**

* * *

 **7:08 PM**

Andrew stepped out of his car and carefully held the bouquet of flowers. He made his way to the entrance of the apartment. The doorman recognized him immediately and greeted him whilst holding open the door. Nodding back with smile, Andrew walked in realizing it had been two weeks since he had been here - since he had seen her, in person.

 _'Wait, do I have to do anything?'_ Andrew wondered as he pressed the 'P' button, for the penthouse floor. _'You got her flowers! It's fine. IT'S FINE!... But after what happened in the morning, is she expecting something else_ _...from me?'_

The doors opened and he stepped out feeling a little more tense. _'You handled it! That's what matters. Just relax and have a good time. Okay! That's it! You've done this before. You know how to show a girl a good time..and..._

Danai's voice echoed like a distant memory _'My boyfriend...'_ and the multiple times she had said it, on the night they had met.

 _'Wait! Are we a couple now?'_ Andrew stopped a few meters away from her door. ' _Hold on! Danai and you've been talking for two weeks...on the phone. Texting, video calling, regular calling...Now, you haven't done that before or wasn't interested in spending that much time on the other girls you've been with. WHY? Because she is..._

 _YEAH, GO ON!_

 _Because...I... enjoy talking to her._

 _Yes, and... you enjoy spending time with her, MORON! Now ask yourself, why is that?_

 _Because she's different._

 _NOOOO! Because she's different to you! WAKE UP, ANDY. SHE'S NOT JUST ANOTHER GIRL TO YOU._

 _Of course she's not. She's..._

 _SPECIAL?"_

 _Andrew sighed in frustration. ' Fuck!'_

 _'Yeah, ANDY. And you haven't. When's the last you did that?.._

 _uh..umm...well..._

 _THE ANSWER IS NEVER!..._

 _Okay, so what do I do?..._

 _It's been over two weeks! You've been playing boyfriend and girlfriend._

 _NO! NO! She left for France, the day after we met. She was meeting with her new suppliers and negotiating business deals...she was working._

 _And I was working too...I had to get the band back together, prepare for the audition and we made it through. And now we're rehearsing for the show. We were busy, so we hardly had any time, she was out of the country. There was hardly anytime for US! So the phone was the only option to make things work!'_

 _'Yeah, in spite of your busy schedules. You guys made it work, like a real couple!'_

Andrew looked down at the flowers and then at her apartment door.

 _'Whether you want to admit it or not this is a real relationship. So put on your big boy pants and go ring that door bell.'_

Feeling reassured, Andrew took a deep breath and took one step forward. Immediately he was reminded of something else. After Danai's flight had landed he had called her and they had immediately got into an argument. After some back forth, Andrew had hung up with a final statement to the end the fight. 15 minutes later, she had texted him an apology and that she was mad because she wanted to see him. Although angry, Andrew replied back after a few minutes, telling her it was okay and to forget about it and that he'll come by at 7 Pm and take her out for dinner. Danai replied back, saying that she'd rather not go out. So instead said she'll cook a meal for them. He replied back with "That's great. I'll try to make it by seven. Might be a late by 5 or 10 minutes, but I'll be there." She replied back with "That's fine, I'll see you in the evening."

After another 15 minutes, his phone beeped again with another text, a really long one. Andrew read about half of the message, when Sarah Jenkins, her assistant and friends walked in to listen to the new song they were working on.

She greeted Andrew and the rest of them warmly. "Hey guys! How're you all doing?"

"GREAT!" Andrew replied back cheerfully, from up the stage. He quickly replied back to Danai's text, rather than making her wait. "Okay. I'll see you tonight."

And then he proceeded to deal with Sarah Jenkins, by playing some of the new songs he and the rest of the band had been working on. An hour after they began Andrew saw Steven enter the auditorium. He signaled him to join them, as they moved on to the next song. As the demonstration progressed, Andrew began to use the stage, and put on a real show. Holding the guitar, he began to moonwalk and exhibit various dance moves. His mind began to replay the various music videos, movies, mannerisms and other intricacies he had watched of famous artists perform, and that he had practiced over the years. Of course he performed rough versions of the songs that he and Steven had worked on as well - "Shape of You" and "Sha la la la". Needless to say, Sarah and her entourage were absolutely floored by exhibition they put up.

It was almost 2 PM, when they were done. Sarah and her gang couldn't stop applauding, as Andrew and the rest of 'The Simpsons' bowed in gratitude. She asked them to keep up the good work and continue on with the rehearsals, and then informed them that they are heading for lunch. She gestured at Andrew, and he made his way towards her.

Sarah went on to explain that she was going to bring in additional background vocalists and backup dancer and as well as a stage director to see if they could go further than a concert and slowly as it progresses, turn into a grand styled musical performance.

Andrew waited quietly as he heard her grand plans. Her eyes were bulging as she explained in excitement. She further explained that the friends she brought along were potential investors, who have all agreed to invest in this show. Although her mother (Sally Jenkins) had planned this 'show' as part of grand re-launch of the Jen-kay brand, but Sarah's mind was racing as she was thinking of the possibilities, with Andrew's natural talent, his band, they could restart the entertainment industry. She emphasized that they start with music, and then step-by-step build towards movies, tv series, just like they used to do it over a century ago.

It was everything he had dreamed of. And here it was within his reach. Sarah saw the excitement and happiness on his face and said she still needed to figure out a lot of things. But she will. For years now, her parents (especially her mother) had managed and expanded the family business while she, thanks to her parents, wealth and family name, rose to being the city's most prominent socialite. But she wanted to do more than organize fancy parties. And this was her chance

She extended her hand and softly touched his right hand, lightly curling her fingers around his wrist. Andrew looked down and then looked back at her with a friendly smile. She was definitely attractive. She had light blue eyes, luscious lips, porcelain skin, straight long dark hair that went down to her waist, and radiant smile. She remarked that it was his talent and his passion for his art that inspired her to think about expanding her own horizons. She then asked him if they could have dinner together later in the evening to talk about this.

Andrew was genuinely flattered. He could see the sincerity in her eyes and for the first time, a hint of vulnerability. Sarah Jenkins, daughter of Sally Jenkins and city's most prominent socialite was a powerhouse in her own right. It was easy to get intimated or even be swayed by her, but Andrew had come a long way to be standing her in front of her. And now, he had seen her for who she really was - a sweet girl who was trying to escape from the shadow of her richer more powerful mother. To stand her own two feet and claim something as her own. He could definitely appreciate it and even respect it.

"That sound's incredibly exciting Sarah. In fact I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life. And I feel absolutely lucky to be standing here and having the privilege to earn this opportunity. And just like you've felt inspired by, I was inspired by someone very special. And I'm having dinner with her tonight. So can we do lunch tomorrow?"

She was still smiling, but he saw the hint of disappointment in her eyes. She let go of his wrist and looked down momentarily, a little bit embarrassed and a little bit shy. Sarah raised her head and looked at him again. "It's Danai Lawrence, isn't it?"

The very mention of her name and Andrew's whole face lit up as he said, "It happened one night!" with a huge grin.

Smiling to herself, Sarah looked down briefly and then back into his eyes, "I knew it. They way she told me and my mother about you that day in the office. She was so excited and proud. You guys are lucky to have each other." She took a deep breath and grinned again. "Okay, Andrew..." She extended her right hand out formally and Andrew took it. "Tomorrow lunch at 2, at a restaurant of my choosing, and I'm paying."

Andrew laughed, acknowledging her sense of humor "Yes, Ma'am." He replied shaking her. "I'll be there."

Recalling the day's events, Andrew looked back down at his phone reading Danai's text again. The last part of the message made him feel guilty and angry at the same time. It had been a busy day. Rehearsals till 5, going back home with Steven. Showering and changing into something more fit for the occasion, helping Steven with tips for his date with Lauren. He had not stopped to even think about what this date meant to him and her, after the action-packed first encounter he and Danai had, until he was on his way here.

And worst of all, he had even forgotten to read the rest of the text. Instead he had opted to reply back saying "Okay. I'll see you tonight." _SHIT!_

 _'Everything we have! Me standing here, she waiting for me on the other side of that door. Everything was based of what had happened in one night! It has to be more than that. Shouldn't it?'_

He was standing a few meters away from her door. _'She's probably expecting an answer from me.'_ Feeling unsure of what to do, Andrew did the only thing he could do. Without thinking any further, he turned around and walked towards the elevator door. _'I need time to think...'_ he told himself to ease his conscience, suddenly aware that he was doing something really wrong and this was going to hurt ' _...for both our sake..'_

* * *

 **A/N: I know! Another cliffhanger. Just not quiet there yet. Until the next one! Ciao! Will be back in 2 weeks.**


	52. Richonne, Okay I'll see you tonight

**_Hello Everybody, decided it was time for another update. Going to do 2 Chapters at once. The second one(Chapter 50) will put things in order and give you guys some perspective on story. Received a few messages on how things were confusing. Sorry about that. Was trying something to maintain the suspense and keep the narrative going as well. The chapter after this should clear things up. If not, the order to read is Chapter 48, It happened one night and then Chapter 46, Inside Out! The idea is to read them all together and then make sense of everything (like a puzzle). No matter how good or bad a story is, I wanted to let you guys have a little fun, while putting things together._**

 _ **Thank you UrGirlHan1 for your positive comments and review. It really made my day! And thank you 'guest' and 'whybother' for reading.**_

 _ **Have an awesome day everybody. This is Chapter 49: Richonne, Okay. I'll see you tonight.**_

* * *

 ** _11 Hours ago_**

It was 8 in the morning, and Danai had just landed after a 9 Hour flight from Paris to DC. As she walked through the airport she couldn't help feel tired, cranky and disappointed.

She walked briskly to collect her luggage, after just having passed the immigration check-in counter. She heard her phone ring and quickly pulled it out from her hand bag. It was Andrew. She decided not answer and simply let it ring, while holding it in her hand, feeling a little guilty as she walked towards the baggage area.

The phone stopped ringing and she immediately regretted her decision not to answer the phone. As the conveyor belt slowly rolled her towards her, with her bag, her phone started ringing again.

"HELLO!" She quickly answered, stretching out and grabbing her bag by the handle.

"Landed safely?" Andrew inquired in concern.

"Ye-YES! Just getting my luggage." Danai replied, placing her phone in between her left ear and left shoulder as she placed her trolley bag on the floor and then grabbed the phone with her hand. She started walking out, rolling her bag behind her.

"How was your early morning rehearsals going?" She inquired.

"Good! We began at six. Sarah said she will come in later with some of her friends. Guess we'll have to put on another show. Second one this week. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it. I wanted to be there. You know that right?"

Danai held her tongue, opting to listen to him rather than say anything. A few people rushed past her making it difficult for her to hear. Danai turned to her left and headed towards the corner of the floor.

"Danni!"He called her by the nick name he had given her a week ago.

"Danni! Daniiiii Are you there?" Andrew inquired.

"Yes!" She said coming to a halt. "It's okay! You're busy! I get it." She replied staring at the wall pressing down on the handle of her trolley.

"I don't think you do."

"I do! Andrew"

"You sound angry!"

There was a pregnant pause and then she heard him smile through the phone. "Come on, you know me!"

"I don't think I do." Danai replied curtly, even though her inner voice was telling her to calm down.

"Seriously?" Andrew asked in an cocky tone.

"Yeah, seriously?" She could hear the warning in her head. ' _STOP IT! YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE!'_

There was a pause and Danai heard Andrew sigh in frustration. "Danni, I'm not trying to hurt you. I wanted to be there."

"Well if you wanted to be here, you'd have been here."

"Are you kidding me? You set this up for me. I'm here because of you. And I'm working my ass of. Going for what I want, staying true to my passion. Just like you said, now what the hell is the problem?"

"Andrew, I got your text when I was on the plane. So you informed me! It was very, very nice of you! Now I have to get myself home, which is FINE! I can do that. Everything if FINE!"

Andrew waited a few seconds before replying. "So what's not fine?"

 _'YOU, MORON! I trusted you! You gave me hope. You promised you'd come and pick me up at the airport and then when I call from the plane, you tell me you can't make it! The problem is, you let me down by not staying true to your word! The problem is when you make a commitment, you better be sure you can live up to it, no matter what is going on in your life. You're the man! Figure it out, ANDY!"_

"Nothing. Everything is fine" Danai replied hardly able to keep the anger out of her voice.

"Dannniiiii!" Andrew implored

"NOTHING!" She replied in an annoyed tone.

"Okay, I get it. Everything is fine! Anyways the reason I called-"

But Danai cut him off "-I told you, it's okay!" Her tone became a little more aggressive. "I can take care of my self. I've been pretty much on my own my whole life. I don't need you or anybody else to care of me! I'm fine-"

"SHUT UP!" Andrew replied back quietly.

Danai immediately became silent and nervously waited for him to say the rest.

"If I wanted to practice, I'd be doing that! I'm talking to you because I want to talk to you. But you don't get to behave like a brat and then expect me to figure it out! If you got a problem, communicate like an adult. I'm right here Danii!"

Danai immediately began to regret the way she had acted. She wished she had been a little less bitchy. But Andrew wasn't done.

"...And I don't believe for one second that you can't take care of yourself. But hey, you want to make me feel shitty for not being there...which one is it this time?...for letting you down-for breaking your TRUST! Not being responsible? Fair enough! But, it'll be on my terms!" Without another word, Andrew hung up on her.

Danai opened her mouth to argue back, but realized her had cut the call. She thought of calling him back but, ' _NO! I always call him back. He doesn't get to talk to me this way and expect me to be okay with it! I'm not calling him back! Fuck you, ANDY!'_

She turned around and started walking towards the exit. There was a sea of people in front of her as she waited for them to slowly make their exit.

 _'He does have a point though! You weren't being very immature._ _But he's so arrogant sometimes! Like he knows everything. Asshole!'_

She slowly started making her way to the exit. A part of her was expecting him to call back. But the phone never rang. Not even a text. Danai started to feel more and more angry as each minute passed. _'Jackass! Thinks he's the man. But keep's acting like a little boy-'_

A familiar looking Asian guy was standing at the entrance holding a white chart with the name 'Danai Lawrence' on it. It was Steven waiting for her, and Danai suddenly realized this is what Andrew was calling to say

 _'Anyways the reason I called-'_

But she had cut him off before he could finish. He couldn't make it, so he sent the next best thing - Steven! His brother. He wasn't being irresponsible. He did care.

 _'God, I hate myself right now!'_ Danai smiled and waved at Steven. She didn't have the chance to meet him before leaving. She didn't even have the chance to meet Sonny. Andrew hadn't mentioned if he had told them about her.

She walked towards Steven, feeling a little conscious of herself. If Steven was here, it means he had to have told him about her. Does Sonny know? ' _Ugghhhh! Andrewwwwww.'_

"Hi!" Steven said warmly reaching out and extending his hand.

"Hello, Steve! Or it is Steven?" Danai replied, quickly establishing control as she she shook his hand. _'Easy, Danai!_ She scolded herself.'

"Uhhh..my name is Steven" He replied with a grin. "You can call me Steve..." Looking a little unsure.

"Sorry, Steve! It was a long flight. I'm glad you're here and I'm very happy to meet you." Danai said assuredly. 'W _hat did Andrew tell you about me!'_

"Let me bring the car around. You mind waiting?"

"Not at all."

Steven looked down at her luggage. "Shall I take your bag?"

Danai was taken aback by his sincerity and innocence. _'He's so adorable!'_ "It's okay! Steven. I'm absolutely fine. I will wait for you."

As she waited for Steven, Danai was lost in her own thoughts about Andrew, debating whether she should apologize to Andrew. ' _Oh he would enjoy that so much. Knowing he was right. I can't give him that. Hell NO!...But, he was right. I was kind of being a bitch. If it were him, he'd already have called me and apologized by now...and then he would gloat about it. How I always held on to my ego! SHIT! What do I do? I can't just admit my mistakes! But that would be selfish, and he'd gloat and then he would be right and then he'd win! Plus! I kind of feel bad too! I'll call him. NO! We talked barely 5 minutes ago. He was mad! I don't think I'm ready to deal with that...I'll text him._

 _'Hey baby...No! He'll make fun of me. I'm not giving him that. Not just yet. Backspace, backspace! Hey Andy...'_

Danai was done typing and reading the message for the second time, making sure it was dignified and as respectable as it could be. It read;

 ** _Hey Andy! Met Steven. He's very sweet. Why didn't you tell me? (Blushing emoji). You didn't have to. Not that I don't appreciate it...Thanks!_**

 ** _I'm sorry I got mad! I was just looking forward to seeing you. Hope the rehearsals are going well._**

 ** _I have a little work in the morning but should be done by late in the afternoon...(Kissing emoji)_**

She heard a familiar honk and saw Steven drive towards her with Andy's car. It still had the same bumps from the night they had met. _'He didn't get it fixed? Probably didn't have the time and money for it. Hmmmm...'_

Danai looked down at the phone and then removed the emojis and hit send.

Once they had put her bags inside the car, they were on their way to her apartment. Steven seemed to be in a hurry. "Sorry, got to head back to rehearsals. Sarah is coming in with a few people to watch."

"So what about you?" Danai asked suddenly.

"We have a sub, but still got to be there."

"I think-" Danai's phone beeped with a text from Andrew.

She opened the text anxiously.

 _ **It's okay. Forget about it! Be ready by 7. I'll come by and we'll go out for dinner."**_

Danai read the text a couple of times and smiled happily. _'Awwww...I knew he couldn't stay mad at me! He's so sweet. Hmmm...Dinner. He hates waiting...I'll make him wait a little. Let's see what he does.'_

She turned to Steven who was checking the time on the dash.

"So Steve...uh thanks for this. But Andrew shouldn't have asked you to do this." _'Now what did Andrew tell you about me?'_

"Oh no problem. He was going to come. It's just that Sarah was coming and she made it sound like a big deal so Andrew had to be there."

"Mmmhhmm...So uh, when did he tell you?"

"Yesterday, night." Steven replied with a shrug.

 _Come on Steve!_

"During the practice?"

"No we got home. And he told me you were coming...Listen he really wanted to be here. Was talking about you ever since you left. He called Sonny and after she showed up. He sat us down and told us about your night..and he would introduce you to us when you get back." Steven said with a smile.

Danai smiled and nodded back like it was nothing, while her insides were screaming in joy. _'OHHH! ANDREWWWW! Why didn't you tell me? IDIOT!'_

"Well I'm glad I got to meet you today Steve!" Danai replied back genuinely happy.

Steven blushed a little and nodded back. "Thank you. I'm glad I got to meet you too."

Danai looked down at her phone and thought about what she was going to say. Feeling a little excited and happy.

 _ **Hey! Dinner sounds good (Blushing emoji). But I'm feeling a little tired and got some work to do. How about we have dinner at home? I'll cook (Kissing emoji)**_

And then she hit send, hoping Andrew knew what she meant.

Danai turned to Steven again. "So...uh..What did Sonny say?" She asked nervously.

Steven gave her an all knowing smile. "She said she's gonna kill you!"

Danai laughed nervously along with Steven. "I should have told her...I had to leave and-"

"It's fine!" He said reassuringly "look Sonny was a little disappointed that you didn't tell her. Just talk to her. She's on a field trip, will be back in a few days. Just talk to her."

"I'll do that." Danai promised him. "So tell me Steven, how are you? Andrew told you're passionate about comic book stories and superhero stories."

"Oh yeah, I do a little bit of writing. Haven't really published anything. I want to. But I'm stuck. Don't know where to start or where to go."

"I've been there." Danai nodded, recalling her earlier days.

"Really? What did you do?"

"I made a plan."

"You make it sound so simple." Steven said, almost cynically.

"It's not! That's the point."

Steven turned to look at her briefly and then back at the road.

Danai's phone beeped again, with Andrew's reply.

 _ **That's great. I'll try to make it by seven. Might be a late by 5 or 10 minutes, but I'll be there.**_

"You got to be able to look at yourself, 5 years, 10 years down the line." Danai said, barely able to hold back her grin. "Do you think about that?"

Steven remained silent staring straight ahead.

"It's scary" Danai continued as she continued to stare at Andrew's phone. Already imagining what it's gonna be like to see him tonight. About what she's gonna wear, what she's gonna cook...and then later...they might be able to...

 _ **"That's fine. I''ll see you in the evening."**_

She texted him back and then looked over at Steven. "You got to make a plan Steven. No matter how scary it is."

Steven took his time to respond back. "I want to. I just don't know where to begin...Will you help me?" He turned to look at her, with hope in his eyes.

Danai gave him a reassuring smile. "I will." For the first time in her life, she felt like she was wanted, that she belonged somewhere, to someone. She recalled Andy's words from the night they had met, right after her emotional outburst. She had called Andrew a bastard when she was angry. Once they had resolved everything, Andrew had laughed it off, saying he was one. Danai laughing along with him but still feeling sorry, replied back saying 'I'm bastard too!'

But Andrew, he laughed, shook his head and then the way he had looked at her before saying. "No! You're one of us.!"

Danai looked down at her phone and then started typing away.

 _ **Thank you, for being there for me. I know I can be really crazy and bitchy sometimes. But thank you. Why didn't you tell me about Steve and Sonny? Did you want to keep that as a surprise? (Smiling Emoji)Today when I saw Steven at the airport. I felt so happy. Knowing that you had sent him. Knowing that you were thinking ahead...thinking of me**. **I didn't imagine this would ever happen to me. Have someone like you in my life. I wanted it to happen. I hoped it would. But I wasn't ready for it. I feel so lucky and special. I am going to do my best to not to go crazy again or make things difficult for you. But if I do, I know you can handle it! And if I'm going crazy, it's because you drive me crazy sometimes. Or maybe I'm just crazy about you(Shy Emoji)...I can't believe I'm writing all of this down. I wish you were here now, holding me tight. Your arms wrapped around my body. Feeling your breath against my face and your beating heart against my breasts. I want you Andrew Simpson. I love you...I love you very much!**_

Danai waited in expectation, holding her breath, feeling slight nervous and incredibly excited.

Her phone beeped again, barely after a minute. She opened Andrew's text..

 _ **Okay. I'll see you tonight.**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: This was Danai's text to Andrew. Go to the next chapter now!**_


	53. Richonne, Definitely, Maybe

_**...And now, in continuation of Chapter 46, 47, 48 & 49, This is a combination of some new stuff and lots of repetition. By the time you get to the end, everything will make sense. **_

**This is Chapter 50 Richonne: Definitely, Maybe.**

* * *

Andrew's phone beeped again with another text, a really long one. He began to read it.

 _ **Thank you, for being there for me. I know I can be really crazy and bitchy sometimes. But thank you. Why didn't you tell me about Steve and Sonny? Did you want to keep that as a surprise? (Smiling Emoji)Today when I saw Steven at the airport. I felt so happy. Knowing that you had sent him. Knowing that you were thinking ahead...thinking of me-**_

"Hey guys! How're you all doing?"

Sarah Jenkins, her assistant and friends had just walked in to listen to the new song they were working on.

"GREAT!" Andrew replied back cheerfully, from up the stage. He quickly replied back to Danai's text, without reading the rest.

 _ **Okay. I'll see you tonight.**_

...

She was taken aback by the casualness of the response. _'Maybe he's busy...'_

"Busy day?" Steven inquired politely.

"Yeah..." Danai put on a smile and she went on to talk about the rest of the day, while her mind stayed with Andrew and his response.

Another 20 minutes later they were pulling into her apartment complex.

"Thank you" Danai said as Steven got out and helped her with her bags.

"Your welcome." Steven replied looking as if he wanted to ask her something.

"What is it Steven? Something on your mind?" Danai inquired kindly.

"This plan...can it involve other people?"

"People, as in?"

"Another person?"

She remained silent for a while and then smiled at him. "Is it just a person or is it someone special?"

The image of Lauren in her waitress uniform appeared in his head. "I don't know..."

"Well that can be the first part of your plan. Figuring it out."

He grinned at her. "Okay, buy you're gonna with my plan right."

"Absolutely!" Danai promised, wondering _'What exactly did Andrew tell you about me Steven?_

And then she started thinking about his response again... ' _ **Okay. I'll see you tonight...'**_

"Bye, Danai. And thanks!" Steven waved cheerfully at her, before turning around and getting back into the car.

"Bye, Steven. And thank you. Good luck with the rehearsals."

Danai made a promise to herself as she headed towards the entrance of her apartment building " _Mr. Andrew Simpson! You bet your sweet ass you're gonna see me tonight. I'm gonna make you the best dinner and I'm gonna wear that red dress of mine. You won't be able to take your eyes of me!_

...

An hour after they began Andrew saw Steven enter the auditorium. He signaled him to join them, as they moved on to the next song. As the demonstration progressed, Andrew began to use the stage, and put on a real show. Holding the guitar, he began to moonwalk and exhibit various dance moves. His mind began to replay the various music videos, movies, mannerisms and other intricacies he had watched of famous artists perform, and that he had practiced over the years. Of course he performed rough versions of the songs that he and Steven had worked on as well - "Shape of You" and "Sha la la la". Needless to say, Sarah and her entourage were absolutely floored by exhibition they put up.

It was almost 2 PM, when they were done. Sarah and her gang couldn't stop applauding, as Andrew and the rest of 'The Simpsons' bowed in gratitude. She asked them to keep up the good work and continue on with the rehearsals, and then informed them that they are heading for lunch. She gestured at Andrew, and he made his way towards her.

Sarah went on to explain that she was going to bring in additional background vocalists and backup dancer and as well as a stage director to see if they could go further than a concert and slowly as it progresses, turn into a grand styled musical performance.

Andrew waited quietly as he heard her grand plans. Her eyes were bulging as she explained in excitement. She further explained that the friends she brought along were potential investors, who have all agreed to invest in this show. Although her mother (Sally Jenkins) had planned this 'show' as part of grand re-launch of the Jen-kay brand, but Sarah's mind was racing as she was thinking of the possibilities, with Andrew's natural talent, his band, they could restart the entertainment industry. She emphasized that they start with music, and then step-by-step build towards movies, tv series, just like they used to do it over a century ago.

It was everything he had dreamed of. And here it was within his reach. Sarah saw the excitement and happiness on his face and said she still needed to figure out a lot of things. But she will. For years now, her parents (especially her mother) had managed and expanded the family business while she, thanks to her parents, wealth and family name, rose to being the city's most prominent socialite. But she wanted to do more than organize fancy parties. And this was her chance

She extended her hand and softly touched his right hand, lightly curling her fingers around his wrist. Andrew looked down and then looked back at her with a friendly smile. She was definitely attractive. She had light blue eyes, luscious lips, porcelain skin, straight long dark hair that went down to her waist, and radiant smile. She remarked that it was his talent and his passion for his art that inspired her to think about expanding her own horizons. She then asked him if they could have dinner together later in the evening to talk about this.

Andrew was genuinely flattered. He could see the sincerity in her eyes and for the first time, a hint of vulnerability. Sarah Jenkins, daughter of Sally Jenkins and city's most prominent socialite was a powerhouse in her own right. It was easy to get intimated or even be swayed by her, but Andrew had come a long way to be standing her in front of her. And now, he had seen her for who she really was - a sweet girl who was trying to escape from the shadow of her richer more powerful mother. To stand her own two feet and claim something as her own. He could definitely appreciate it and even respect it.

"That sound's incredibly exciting Sarah. In fact I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life. And I feel absolutely lucky to be standing here and having the privilege to earn this opportunity. And just like you've felt inspired by, I was inspired by someone very special. And I'm having dinner with her tonight. So can we do lunch tomorrow?"

She was still smiling, but he saw the hint of disappointment in her eyes. She let go of his wrist and looked down momentarily, a little bit embarrassed and a little bit shy. Sarah raised her head and looked at him again. "It's Danai Lawrence, isn't it?"

The very mention of her name and Andrew's whole face lit up as he said, "It happened one night!" with a huge grin.

Smiling to herself, Sarah looked down briefly and then back into his eyes, "I knew it. They way she told me and my mother about you that day in the office. She was so excited and proud. You guys are lucky to have each other." She took a deep breath and grinned again. "Okay, Andrew..." She extended her right hand out formally and Andrew took it. "Tomorrow lunch at 2, at a restaurant of my choosing, and I'm paying."

Andrew laughed, acknowledging her sense of humor "Yes, Ma'am." He replied shaking her hand. "I'll be there."

...

At first it was a drizzle, then it began to pour. Andrew turned on his windshield wipers as he drove through the traffic, occasional glancing at the clock on the dash. 6:55 PM. He swore to himself, suddenly remembering that he had forgotten to buy flowers.

…

Danai opened the door and rushed inside with the bottle of red wine she had forgotten. She checked the clock on the wall that read 6:55 PM. ' _Relax, Danai! Dinner's at 7, and Andy had texted you saying he might be late by a few minutes. Everything's fine. The dinner's ready. You forgot the wine and now you got that, so take a deep breath cause your knight in shining armor is coming'._

…

Andrew quickly ran inside the store, pulling his jacket over his head. He turned around to look at his reflection against the glass door. He brushed his long, slightly wet, hair back and then straightened his jacket and tie. He studied his reflection again, frowning at the several patterns of raindrops that now adorned his new beige jacket and pants. On account of his meeting with Sarah and Mrs. Jenkins, Andrew had purchased the outfit, along with the light sky blue shirt and crimson colored tie he was wearing. It was Danai who had advised him on what to wear _'A mix between semi professional and casual! You're an entertainer not a business associate.'_ But Andrew wouldn't be Andrew if he couldn't throw something in there that defined his own taste. So instead of the yellow-brown tie she had advised, Andrew went for a crimson one.

He grinned at the thought of Danai's expression, once she had the chance to see tie. The grin faded away as soon as it had appeared, as Andrew was reminded of what had happened in the morning, and the various small incidents that had happened over the last two weeks. Was he feeling anger or was it disappointment?

Deciding to put the issue aside for now, he looked down at his brown formal shoes. Apart from them looking a little wet, they looked absolutely fine.

Satisfied with his appearance, Andrew turned around and smiled as the girl behind the counter greeted him.

…

 _'Red - the colour of passion, energy...Love'_ Dressed in a red off shoulder mini spaghetti dress, Danai studied her reflection against the mirror as she stood in her bedroom.

 _'Maybe this too much! What's he going to think? I should probably change. Maybe something a bit more low-key? It's just dinner at home.'_

As she stood in front of the mirror she used her left hand to position her straight short hair over her forehead and then turned to her side to check her perfectly styled pixie-cut hair. She couldn't believe that it was barely 10 hours ago that she had gotten of a plane that had arrived from France. Most of the day had been a bliss with her running around meeting with Mrs. Jenkins and giving her a succinct update on the status of the promised supplies, to coordinating with her business associates in Richmond, whilst worrying about what she had texted Andrew earlier in the day! And his very casual response.

It was not until late in the afternoon that she had some time to herself. She rushed to the beauty salon and sat down on the chair, as the staff worked around her with a facial, waxing, treading, skin care, hair styling, etc, while Danai's mind drifted between how hungry she was, how tired she felt, her conscious fight against jet lag, how much work as left to be done before the D-day and...the urge to call/text/go see Andrew right away about how she had said what she had said and his "Okay. I'll see you in the evening" reply to her text. She checked her phone for the 14'th time to see if she had missed any texts or calls from him (even though she knew she hadn't). Once she was done at the beauty salon she hurried over to her apartment to get started on dinner.

She felt overwhelmed with restless energy and inertia. _"He's coming to see you...He's coming to see you. He's coming to have dinner with YOU."_

...

"When I was living with Mrs. Hemmings, she had this garden where she grew all sorts of flowers…" Andrew recounted an earlier memory of a conversation they had from a week ago, when things were better.

'Most flowers have the same color...roses are red, violets are blue, lilies are white and sunflower is just plain yellow...It gets boring after a while. Orchids always made feel good. A perfect mixture of purple and white...the way they're structured...Always managed to inspire the artist in me.'

"How can I help you?" The girl asked Andrew as he stood lost in his thoughts.

He looked at the girl and asked "Do you have any Orchids?"

…

As she stood in front of the mirror, her eyes wandered over to the reflection of the king-size bed behind her. She stared at its gold enamored headboard and raving red colored bed covers. Danai suddenly found something else to be nervous about, thinking about what could or couldn't happen tonight!

…..

 **7:08 PM**

Andrew stepped out of his car and carefully held the bouquet of flowers. He made his way to the entrance of the apartment. The doorman recognized him immediately and greeted him whilst holding open the door. Nodding back with smile, Andrew walked in realizing it had been two weeks since he had been here - since he had seen her, in person.

 _'Wait, do I have to do anything?'_ Andrew wondered as he pressed the 'P' button, for the penthouse floor. _'You got her flowers! It's fine. IT'S FINE!... But after what happened in the morning, is she expecting something else...from me?'_

The doors opened and he stepped out feeling a little more tense. _'You handled it! That's what matters. Just relax and have a good time. Okay! That's it! You've done this before. You know how to show a girl a good time..and..._

Danai's voice echoed like a distant memory _'My boyfriend...'_ and the multiple times she had said it, on the night they had met.

 _'Wait! Are we a couple now?'_ Andrew stopped a few meters away from her door. ' _Hold on! Danai and you've been talking for two weeks...on the phone. Texting, video calling, regular calling...Now, you haven't done that before or wasn't interested in spending that much time on the other girls you've been with. WHY? Because she is..._

 _YEAH, GO ON!_

 _Because...I... enjoy talking to her._

 _Yes, and... you enjoy spending time with her, MORON! Now ask yourself, why is that?_

 _Because she's different._

 _NOOOO! Because she's different to you! WAKE UP, ANDY. SHE'S NOT JUST ANOTHER GIRL TO YOU._

 _Of course she's not. She's..._

 _SPECIAL?"_

 _Andrew sighed in frustration. ' Fuck!'_

 _'Yeah, ANDY. And you haven't. When's the last you did that?.._

 _uh..umm...well..._

 _THE ANSWER IS NEVER!..._

 _Okay, so what do I do?..._

 _It's been over two weeks! You've been playing boyfriend and girlfriend._

 _NO! NO! She left for France, the day after we met. She was meeting with her new suppliers and negotiating business deals...she was working._

 _And I was working too...I had to get the band back together, prepare for the audition and we made it through. And now we're rehearsing for the show. We were busy, so we hardly had any time, she was out of the country. There was hardly anytime for US! So the phone was the only option to make things work!'_

 _'Yeah, in spite of your busy schedules. You guys made it work, like a real couple!'_

Andrew looked down at the flowers and then at her apartment door.

 _'Whether you want to admit it or not this is a real relationship. So put on your big boy pants and go ring that door bell.'_

...

"...It was almost 8 months ago. I was up on stage at this club, with Andrew and the rest of our band. I was playing the drums and there, as I glanced across the floor, I saw an extremely gorgeous girl (Steven saw her swallow nervously, hardly daring to breath or make a sound. Her eyes were round and her gaze was completely fixed on him.), waitressing in a black dress. So when I got of the stage, I tried talking to her. But she completely blew me off."

Lauren' cheeks turned red, as her face seemed to be caught between a grimace and smile. She looked down at the couch as she fidgeted with her fingers, drawing circled patterns against the nylon. "You were drunk." She finally said.

"Not that much." Steven replied coolly, still looking at her.

It took her a minute to reply, but Steven waited patiently. Without raising her head Lauren replied. "I saw you before you got up on stage. When you walked into the the club along with the rest of your band."

Steven was taken aback by this revelation. "You did?"

"Yes." She said

Then ever so slowly she raised her head and looked into his eyes. "You walked up to me when I was least expecting it. And I didn't know what to do."

"So when I said 'hey gorgeous!' you said 'got to go', without looking at me?" Steven said softly tilting his head to the left.

 _'I could look into those eyes forever.'_ Steven thought as he continued to look at her.

 _'You were so adorable that night.'_ Lauren thought recalling what had happened. ' _All I wanted to do was come back and talk to you, maybe dance with you a little. But I just felt so nervous. And when you were up on that stage, you looked like you were having so much fun. I wanted to come up over there and sit between you and those drums.'_

"Yes." She finally replied.

His gaze drifted downwards at her lips and then back up. "How about now?"

She stared into his eyes. She couldn't blink, she couldn't move.

Slowly, feeling his heart beat against his chest, Steven leaned forwards. He caught her lips with his, brushing them ever so lightly and then parting them slowly. She opened up her lips and received him. He softly slid his tongue in, grazing against hers. "I'm so glad Andrew met Danai" He added seductively.

She started chuckling then broke into laughter, raising both her hands and then placing them on both sides of his face. "You mean like destiny?"

"Hmmm" He nodded back at her, with a lazy smirk on his face. The writer in him started thinking away. "What was always meant to be, will happen one way or the other."

"So we were always meant to be here? On this couch, right now?" Lauren teased him back, biting her lower lip.

Steven continued to look into her eyes, reaching across with his left hand he softly brushed her cheek with his fingers. "Always."

...

Feeling reassured, Andrew took a deep breath and took one step forward. Immediately he was reminded of something else. Andrew looked back down at his phone reading Danai's text again.

 _ **Thank you, for being there for me. I know I can be really crazy and bitchy sometimes. But thank you. Why didn't you tell me about Steve and Sonny? Did you want to keep that as a surprise? (Smiling Emoji)Today when I saw Steven at the airport. I felt so happy. Knowing that you had sent him. Knowing that you were thinking ahead...thinking of me**_ _._

That's as far as he had read. He thought it had been another text she had sent, after losing her temper and then him reprimanding her for it. He read the rest, realizing she was opening up to him.

 _ **I didn't imagine this would ever happen to me. Have someone like you in my life. I wanted it to happen. I hoped it would. But I wasn't ready for it. I feel so lucky and special. I am going to do my best to not to go crazy again or make things difficult for you. But if I do, I know you can handle it! And if I'm going crazy, it's because you drive me crazy sometimes. Or maybe I'm just crazy about you(Shy Emoji)...I can't believe I'm writing all of this down. I wish you were here now, holding me tight. Your arms wrapped around my body. Feeling your breath against my face and your beating heart against my breasts. I want you Andrew Simpson. I love you...I love you very much!**_

The last part of the message made him feel guilty and angry at the same time. It had been a busy day. Rehearsals till 5, going back home with Steven. Showering and changing into something more fit for the occasion, helping Steven with tips for his date with Lauren. He had not stopped to even think about what this date meant to him and her, after the action-packed first encounter he and Danai had, until he was on his way here.

And worst of all, he had even forgotten to read the rest of the text. Instead he had opted to reply back saying 'Okay. I'll see you tonight.'

 _'SHIT!'_

 _'Everything we have! Me standing here, she waiting for me on the other side of that door. Everything was based of what had happened in one night! It has to be more than that. Shouldn't it?'_

He was standing a few meters away from her door. _'She's probably expecting an answer from me.'_ Feeling unsure of what to do, Andrew did the only thing he could do. Without thinking any further, he turned around and walked towards the elevator door. _'I need time to think...'_ he told himself to ease his conscience, suddenly aware that he was doing something really wrong and this was going to hurt ' _...for both our sake..'_

 _..._

"...President Ford, I hope you don't mind me asking a little more about...'Richonne' Grimes!"

"Ha ha ha...you know they really hated that name." Stanley remarked. "But sure go ahead."

"Okay. Let's talk about the estate you're in. I believe all the three families live over there - Grimes, Ford and Green-Rhee. "

"That's right. It's a 200 acre estate, with all our houses, parents, kids... we are one large joint-family and our own community."

"Sounds crowded!" Michael remarked.

"Absolutely! It can get loud, sometimes not so private, but a very happy place!"

"Now is that something Rick and Michonne started?"

"Yes and no. Uh...It was the way they lived during the apocalypse. The concept of family became more than blood. And that is something great grand daddy Rick started and everyone else just took that forward. Today,"...Stanley took a moment to think before saying the rest. He paused Stanley took a second to recall some of the happiest memories of his life, including meeting, falling in love and marrying his wife - the great grand daughter of Glenn and Maggie Rhee.

"I can honestly say it is the best thing that could have happened to me and everyone within our families."

The audience broke into a applause and Stanley nodded back at them with a smile.

Michael took a moment to acknowledge President Stanley's sentiments. And then proceeded with the interview. "What about relationships, marriage? Is that something all of you want to keep it within the three families."

Stanley laughed in response. "That was never intentional. It just happened that way...so far! I guess the best way I can describe it...given what all had happened and how it had happened, and how much all our families were involved in it...no one understood us better than us. We grew up together, we spend the holidays together, we had the same beliefs, followed the same traditions...It just became what it is today."

"Or..." Michael added dramatically. "It was like Rick said...destiny!"

Stanley shrugged back at him with a smile.

Michael continued. "But it is remarkable, you're whole family! How all of you have grown and how to continue to honor what your ancestors started by staying together. Especially these days you, you hear about relationships and marriages falling apart. What would you say to those people."

"I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to give up. The world is demanding, tough. Job, career, money, social acceptance...relationships take second place when it comes to the rest. That's not intentional. That's hope that the other person will understand."

...

 **8:00 PM**

Danai paced around the living room, glancing down at her phone, wondering where he was. She tried calling him for the third time since 7:30 PM. The phone kept ringing but there was no answer.

She held up the phone and started typing away anxiously, **"ANDY, THIS IS NOT FUNNY. PICK UP! WHERE ARE YOU?** and hit 'send'.

She waited a few more minutes, now starting to feel worried for his safety. _'Did he get into a fight with someone? Or did someone...Charlie, Bina, momma Fisch, someone else. Maybe I should call Sonny. No, I'll just worry her. I'll call Steve. Wait, I just met him today morning. But he knows about me, about us...but what has Andrew told him?_

She looked down at her phone and sent him another text _._ **"Are you okay?"**

Her thoughts were interrupted by sound of the doorbell!

 **7:30 PM**

 **DANNI CALLING!**

The words flashed on the screen of his phone.

Andrew closed his eyes, as he sat in his car. _'I can't believe I'm doing this to her. Jesus! I'm such a fucking coward'_

He looked around the empty visitor's parking lot, trying to look for something he couldn't find.

 _'What's wrong with me? Is this about her? Or is this about me? Why is this so hard?...What do I do?'_

* * *

 _ **A/N: And those were the day's events. Shitty move by Andrew, but everyone has doubts ans fears! In the next update, we're gonna find out what happens next. Until then, as always, thank you for reading.**_


	54. Richonne, Danii Calling

_**Hello everybody! I'm sure you're all getting ready for the weekend. Seemed like a good time to provide another update. In many ways this update and a few more that's gonna follow is more personal than a work of fiction. For two years now, all of you have been with me on this journey about two fictional characters and their adventures.**_

 _ **Some of you wrote about how real it feel sometimes. And the truth is, some of those situations Rick and Michonne have been in are based off my personal experiences. And then suddenly I stopped for almost year, after the chapter (Knight in shining armor) with messages saying that I'll be back. And that was always the plan. I had an ending in mind and a few chapters that led up to it. But I stopped writing. I told you how there were a few things that were going on in my life and the truth was I met someone very special and very real. When I started writing again the chapters and the story were based of that. And that's why the ending changed. I have a message and a request to all of you. I'll get into that by the end.**_

 _ **For now, this is Chapter 51, Richonne, Danii Calling!**_

* * *

 **7:30 PM**

 **DANNI CALLING!**

The words flashed on the screen of his phone.

Andrew closed his eyes, as he sat in his car. _'I can't believe I'm doing this to her. Jesus! I'm such a fucking coward'_

He looked around the empty visitor's parking lot, trying to look for something he couldn't find.

 _'What's wrong with me? Is this about her? Or is this about me? Why is this so hard?...What do I do?'_

He sat back trying to understand what was going on. It was obvious to him now that he had feelings for her. And yet here he was hiding in his car not knowing what to do. His mind drifted to the first woman he had slept with. He was 16 and had just started working for Momma, and boxing. The woman, Victoria was a few years older than him. She was gorgeous, sexy, exciting, fun, and the most successful waitress, working at Momma Fisch's club. There was an altercation in the club. Victoria was in trouble and Andrew had run towards her as she yelled at a guy who was forcibly holding her around her waist. Andrew had jumped on top of him and started to pummel him away before that man's friends could intervene. The bouncers joined Andrew, and together they beat up the 'bullies' and threw them out of the club.

It was almost closing time when Victoria had come to Andrew. She held his bruised hand, thanked him, and although nervous at first, Andrew played it cool and then not being able to control himself went in for a kiss. She kissed him back and smiled at him. "Let's go to your place!" Andrew demanded. Victoria blushed slightly and then took him along. It was an educational night for Andrew. But thinking back Andrew knew he was nervous, not because of Victoria, but because it was his first time. However that didn't stop him from going for what he wanted, or from getting it.

He slept with her a few more times, was starting to feel attached. A few months had passed, and then one night she had come to him and said she was leaving for New York. She had managed to secure a modeling gig. She was after all ambitious. He wished the very best of luck and asked her to keep in touch. She looked at him for a few moments, smiled and then said "Goodbye, Andrew." and then left. At the time he had felt angry and confused at the way she left. The casual way in which she had told him 'she was leaving', like he didn't even matter to her.

He felt hurt but he had other things to think about. So he let it go and focused on what was important to him.

As Andrew sat in the car, he began to realize why she had come to him that night. Something he had thought of back then, but then dismissed it. She wanted a relationship or at least hoped for some kind of commitment. But Andrew was younger back then. He wasn't paying attention or maybe he didn't want to.

He felt hurt but he had other things to think about. So he let it go and focused on what was important to him.

As Andrew sat in the car, he began to realize why she had come to him that night. Something he had thought of back then, but then dismissed it. She wanted a relationship or at least hoped for some kind of commitment. But Andrew was younger back then. He wasn't paying attention or maybe he didn't want to.

Andrew was a tough guy, he could be intimidating if he wanted to, he knew how to get things done, assertive and most of all he was genuinely kind and caring to all. Along the way he picked up music. He became, a musician, a singer and one hell of a stage performer. Women were always interested in him. It was almost too easy. And Andrew enjoyed the thrill of the chase, the fun of flirting, the challenge of getting them into bed. After Victoria, there were other women...Kiru, Rebecca and Stacy. It was fun and Andrew enjoyed his time with them. He never broke things of with anyone of them. They all left him, one after the other. Kiru had reached out once after that. Andrew was friendly on the phone and talked for a bit. He then had to go and said "it was nice catching up. But I have to go now. Bye, Kiru". After a few seconds she told him bye and he never heard from her again.

"OHHHHHH!" He groaned, covering his face in his hands. "Fuck! She wanted me to ask her out."

...

 **7:35 PM**

The first strains of doubt and anger were creeping into Danai's mind. She tried to remain calm by trying to recall the sweet moments of conversation from the last two weeks. But even then, there were times when he failed to see or understand what she wanted. And then would argue, there'd be a fight.

 _'He likes me. He wants me. I know it!_ She reassured herself.

 _This is not like how it was with Adam. Andrew isn't Adam. Adam just wanted to sleep with me. So he was nice, he was sweet. And I was 20, I wanted to know what it felt like...But I trusted him. I thought I was special to him..._

Adam was the only man she had slept with. It was the initial days of her business and she had met him. He took her out and Danai remembered feeling so happy and excited throughout the entire night. They got a cab and went home. Danai remembered feeling tensed but he was so relaxed and it helped her calm down. She kept telling herself to not sleep with him, and wait until they had gone out a couple of times.

And then they were at her door. He walked towards her holding her with his lustful gaze, and then slowly slipped his hand around her waist. He stepped forward and pulled her closer and kissed her. "Let's go upstairs."

In the morning, they made breakfast together and then he left, said he would call her later. She didn't hear from him for a week. She called him, but he didn't pick up. He texted her he was busy. A few days later she called him again. This time he texted her he's traveling and can't really talk.

It drove her crazy. It began to affect her work. It took a lot of emotional control to get through the next few days. She then decided to give him one more chance and tried calling him a third time. He picked up and apologized for being busy. He said they will go out later and he will call her in a few days.

Danai wanted to yell and scream. She had a slew of expletives in her mind ready for him. But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of having gotten to her. But she had already made up her mind about him and this time she wasn't going to cheat herself. She remained calm and graceful and thanked him for his time. But she said she couldn't really make time for him anymore as she had met someone else.

Adam was taken aback for a moment and then tried to play it cool. So instead he asked her why was she trying to call him if she already had someone.

Danai simply said "To thank you for the sex and not trying for a relationship. I just wanted the sex! You gave me that and you never really bothered me after that. It was refreshing so I really wanted to just thank you but you were busy all the time. Anyways I'm glad we got to talk."

"WHAT? Really? Well..why didn't you say-"

"Sorry, Adam! Got to go now." With that Danai hung up the phone. Adam tried texting her and calling her for days after that. Danai never picked up his or answered any of his texts.

A few weeks later he showed up at her building. He was charming and playful as ever. But all Danai could think of was how much he wanted to use her. She felt like a piece of meat, and all she wanted to do was get away from him. She didn't say anything, she didn't show her disgust because he wasn't worth it. Not anymore.

Danai smiled playfully and even flirted with him a little bit. When he saw that he wasn't getting to her, she saw him lose a bit of his composure. He was telling how beautiful she looked and how hurt he felt when she ignored his calls and her messages. It took a lot of emotional self control to keep herself from yelling back at him, for saying what she actually thought of him.

Danai was graceful and as dignified as ever. She thanked him for their time together and all he could do was look back at in surprise, utterly speechless. She apologized, telling him she had a meeting to get to and had to go. She walked away and never heard from him or saw him again.

It took a while for her to get over Adam. But she never forgot the experience and never went out on a date again.

She looked down at her phone and thought about Andrew and the first night they met. _"He's not Adam! Andrew is not Adam! Andrew likes me. He cares about me. He wouldn't do this to me intentionally. I know that. I know him. I have never felt this way about anyone. And I know he feels the same way."_

It was almost 7:40 PM. She decided to wait 5 more minutes and then call him again.

...

 _'Why didn't she say anything? She just said "Bye" And hung up!'_

 _'Because you are the man! You're supposed to make the plan! When Danai was in France and when she texted you, who decided the time to call? Who decided about tonight's date?_

 _'Right!'_

Andrew was beginning to feel guilty about the way he had treated those other women. They had trusted him and he had let them down.

Things were beginning to make sense, but more questions popped into Andrew's head.

He began to understand that it was his in-actions that drove those girls away. At first everything was great. But then Andrew refused to do anything or maybe he didn't want to. He began to feel guilty about what had happened with all of them

Andrew tried to focus on understanding the problem rather than let it confuse him.

He knew that he wasn't the type to hesitate or pull back. He was the type to go for what he wanted. Nothing got it in the way. So why did he-

 **DANNI CALLING!**

'SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! GIMME SOME MORE TIME! JUST...WAIT DANNI! PLEASE! I just need you to hold on. PLEASE!'

...

She let the phone ring for 6 times, before she hung up.

She closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears and resentment. _'No! Andrew would not do this to me. Not on purpose. I know him!'_

...

Andrew looked down at his phone in sadness.

' _She's important to me. She's not like the other girls. I didn't really care about them. At least not enough sit in a car and think about my past and my future. So why am I sitting here, and not with her?'_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Interesting to say the least! And we're getting there, slowly. I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible. Until then thank you for reading.**_

 _ **In 2015, after I wrote the chapter on Carol's death (Chapter 11). I left for a UAE. I got a job there, the pay was good etc. And then I met her. We were friends for nearly year. And then something happened that brought us together. It was wonderful but she was married to an abusive husband. (I wish I was making all of this up!) But things happened. He had left her and then came back when we were least expecting it. There was a lot of heartbreak and pain. And then things looked like it was going to work out. Recession hit, and I lost my job. Without someone to sponsor my visa. I had no option to leave. I've been home now for almost a year and I've been trying to get back to her, ever since. She's stuck there and I can't do anything about it (and that's killing me inside), except write. I wanna get back to her, and bring her home. I wanna take care of her, and then live the rest of our lives together.**_

 _ **So if any of you have found joy, comfort, love, reading this fanfic, and you would like to show your appreciation then please send me a personal message and I shall send you a link to**_ ** _..._** _ **donate any amount (1$, 2$, 5$, 10$, 20$) that you think is equal to the value of your entertainment so far. Thank you for your time and attention.**_


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